The Golem and the Wondrous Deeds of the Maharal of Prague
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This collection of interrelated stories about a sixteenth-century Prague rabbi and the golem he created became an immediate bestseller upon its publication in 1909. So widely popular and influential was Yudl Rosenberg’s book, it is no exaggeration to claim that the author transformed the centuries-old understanding of the creature of clay and single-handedly created the myth of the golem as protector of the Jewish people during times of persecution.In addition to translating Rosenberg’s classic golem story into English for the first time, Curt Leviant also offers an introduction in which he sets Rosenberg’s writing in historical context and discusses the golem legend before and after Rosenberg’s contributions. Generous annotations are provided for the curious reader.The book is full of adventures, surprises, romance, suspense, mysticism, Jewish pride, and storytelling at its best. The Chief Rabbi of Prague, known as the Maharal, brings the golem Yossele to life to help the Jews fight false accusations of ritual murder—the infamous blood libel. More human, more capable, and more reliable as a protector than any golem imagined before, Rosenberg’s Golem irrevocably changed one of the most widely influential icons of Jewish folklore.
Contents Acknowledgments....................xiIntroduction....................xiiiNotice....................31 Publisher's Preface....................52 Bill of Sale....................83 The History of the Great Gaon, the Holy, Supernal Maharal of Prague, May the Memory of that Righteous, Saintly Man Be a Blessing for Life in the World to Come....................104 The Maharal's Battle Against the Blood Libel....................135 The Maharal's Suggestion to Have a Disputation with the Priests....................156 The Disputation....................177 "A Man Who Excels at His Work Shall Attend upon Kings." This Is the Maharal....................318 How the Maharal Created the Golem....................349 How Yossele the Golem Carried Water for Passover....................3910 How Yossele the Golem Caught Fish for Rosh Hashana....................4111 For What Purposes the Maharal Used the Golem....................4412 The Maharal's First Miracle with the Golem....................4613 The Astonishing Tale of the Healer's Daughter....................5014 The Wondrous and Famous Story Known as "The Daughter's Misfortune"....................6715 A Very Amazing Tale About a Blood Libel by the Priest Thaddeus Which Caused His Final Downfall and His Banishment from Prague....................9516 The Marvelous Story of the Wonder of Wonders That the Maharal Revealed to the Two Berls Whose Two Children Were Switched by a Midwife....................11317 The Astounding Story of the Torah that Fell to the Floor on Yom Kippur....................12718 The Attack on Yossele theGolem....................13019 An Awesome Tale About the Ruin near Prague....................13820 A Wondrous Tale About Duke Bartholomew....................14321 The Last Blood Libel in Prague During the Maharal's Lifetime....................15622 How the Maharal Brought About the End of the Golem....................18223 The Maharal's Remarks Concerning the Golem....................18724 A Miraculous Event Pertaining to the Maharal's Engagement....................196Notes....................199
