The Golem, a man-made figure of Jewish folklore, is a creation often compared to Frankenstein’s monster. Its purpose was to protect Jews from persecution. The concept’s origin is rooted in the Torah (the first five books of the bible) and the creation of Adam from the dust of the earth.

The Golem of Prague

The most famous Golem story is the one from Prague in the 16th century, attributed to Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel (the Maharal of Prague). To defend his community from anti-Semitic attacks, Rabbi Loew, often with two assistants, molded a humanoid figure from clay gathered from the river.

The Golem was animated through Kabbalistic rituals, typically involving the recitation of divine letters, or by placing a scroll (shem) with a name of God, or the word emet (truth), in its mouth or on its forehead.

The creature possessed superhuman strength and was invulnerable to man-made weapons. Although it could not speak, it understood and executed commands.

Loss of Control

The Golem proved difficult to control. It grew violent, sometimes going on destructive rampages and taking commands too literally. The central theme is the danger of humans playing God.

Ultimately, Rabbi Loew had to deactivate his creation. He often did this by removing the shem or by erasing the first letter of emet to change it to met (death). According to legend, the Golem’s lifeless clay remains were stored in the attic of the Old-New Synagogue in Prague, awaiting a time when its protection might be needed again.