The golem and the wondrous deeds of the Maharal of Prague / Yudl Rosenberg ; translated from the Hebrew and edited and with an introduction and notes by Curt Leviant.

Publisher's preface -- Bill of sale -- 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 -- The Maharal's battle against the blood libel -- The Maharal's suggestion to have a disputation with the priests -- The disputation -- "A man who excels at his work shall attend upon kings" : this is the Maharal -- How the Maharal created the golem -- How Yossele the golem carried water for Passover -- How Yossele the golem caught fish for Rosh Hashana -- For what purposes the Maharal used the golem -- The Maharal's first miracle with the golem -- The astonishing tale of the healer's daughter -- The wondrous and famous story known as "The daughter's misfortune" -- A very amazing tale about a blood libel by the priest Thaddeus which caused his final downfall and his banishment from Prague -- The marvelous story of the wonder of wonders that the Maharal revealed to the two Berls whose two children were switched by a midwife -- The astounding story of the Torah that fell to the floor on Yom Kippur -- The attack on Yossele the golem -- An awesome tale about the ruin near Prague -- A wondrous tale about Duke Bartholomew -- The last blood libel in Prague during the Maharal's lifetime -- How the Maharal brought about the end of the golem -- The Maharal's remarks concerning the golem -- A miraculous event pertaining to the Maharal's engagement.

Includes bibliographical references.

This collection of inter-related 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.

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Print version record.

Translated from the Hebrew.

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