Since the Middle Ages, Prague has been considered a mystical city. The mysticism is still alive there. One of the most mysterious and terrible secrets of Prague is kept literally a stone's throw from the streets along which crowds of tourists walk. This golem is a clay hero, created by the sages of antiquity to protect against enemies.
Literally a ten-minute walk at a leisurely pace from the Old Town Square, the main tourist attraction in Prague, there is an outwardly rather nondescript two-story building, past which many pass without stopping. Meanwhile, this is the Old New Synagogue, in the attic of which, according to legend, the body of a golem is kept. This clay giant, which is described in medieval legends, was created from clay by the sages-kabbalists and was called upon to protect its masters from persecution and persecution.
Of course, people with a rational mind do not believe that these stories have a real basis. But many are still confident that if necessary, the golem will come to life and take to the streets of modern Prague to fulfill the order of its creators. And yet it is possible that behind the stories lies quite real information about the technologies possessed by medieval alchemists and kabbalists.
Emperor's friend
Legends of golems - idols made of clay and animated with spells - have been found in Jewish folklore since ancient times. It is believed that only a righteous person who has never retreated from serving God can make a golem. A piece of paper with a spell written on it is put into a narrow gap in the place of the mouth of the man-made giant. According to another version, the spell is written on a burnt clay ball. You can defeat a golem only by completely destroying its clay body or by contriving to remove a spell from its mouth. Then the monster will again become just a clay figure.
All this, of course, is fantasy. But the creation of the Prague golem is attributed to a completely specific person, in the reality of whose existence there is no doubt. This is the largest authority among the 16th century rabbis, a scientist and philosopher named Yehuda Loew ben Bezalel. More often it is called shortly: Rabbi Loew. From 1597 he was the chief rabbi of Prague. And he was also very well versed in secular sciences.
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Known for his deep knowledge of mathematics. In addition, Rabbi Loew was friends with the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe, who was also living in Prague at that time. In general, Prague in the second half of the 16th century was one of the most brilliant and certainly the most mysterious city in Europe. After all, then it was here that the capital of the Holy Roman Empire was located, and the Emperor Rudolph II, who ruled from 1576, turned it into a real miracle city. Scientists, mystics and alchemists from all over the world found shelter and protection here. Thanks to this, outstanding discoveries were made here and great secrets were kept.
Apart from intelligence, Rabbi Leo was distinguished by a rather strong character. It is said that during a great fire that once raged in Prague, he managed to save the emperor's library, not being afraid to personally throw himself into the fire for precious books. And another time he pacified a horse that went berserk under Rudolf II right during the parade. And Rabbi Leo did it, according to legend, with the help of one single word that no one heard. True or not, almost all Prague residents were convinced that the rabbi was engaged in the so-called “practical Kabbalah,” that is, in fact, magic. That is why, probably, he is considered the creator of the Prague golem.
Naughty servant
Despite the fact that Rabbi Leo himself was respected by the emperor and even considered his friend, the Jews in Prague did not live easy. As, however, and throughout Europe. Noble knights willingly borrowed money from the Jewish usurers, but when the time came to repay the debt, they completely forgot about their nobility. One of the common ways to get rid of an annoying lender was to file charges. The scarier the better. As a result, the Jew was thrown into prison, and his debtor could consider himself free from all obligations.
One version of the legend of the creation of the golem tells just such a story. A pawnbroker named Eliezer was charged by one of his debtors with kidnapping a child for a bloody sacrifice. It seemed that nothing could save him from execution. But at the last moment, the allegedly murdered child was found. He was brought to court by an amazing clay giant created by Rabbi Lev. The rabbi himself invented a way to revive him, or someone else told him the secret - different versions of the legend tell about different things.
When rumors of a curiosity spread throughout the city, Emperor Rudolph II ordered ben Bezalel to appear at the palace with the golem. The writer Isaac Singer describes the dialogue between the emperor and the rabbi as follows:
“With the help of such a giant, you Jews could conquer the whole world. How do we know that you will not conquer the rest of the country and turn us into your slaves?
- We Jews have tasted slavery in the country of Egypt and therefore do not want to enslave others. The golem is just a temporary help for us in a moment of especially formidable danger. The Messiah will come when the Jews deserve salvation by good works.
- How long can this monster exist?
"Not a day longer than the need for it."
Rabbi Loew was confident that he was in complete control of his powerful servant. And he planned to use his force only to protect his fellow tribesmen from oppression. But soon the golem, named Yosef, ceased to obey him. Why this happened - they say differently. Either he fell in love with the rabbi's daughter, or simply thought about who he is, why he was created and whether he has the right to free will.
One way or another, but he began to destroy everything around him, and only with the help of cunning did the creator of the idol manage to pacify him. Then Rabbi Loew recited the spell with which he revived Yosef, backwards, and the consciousness left the clay body. After that, he was taken to the attic of the synagogue and covered with liturgical robes and books. And since then, to our days, access to the attic of the Old New Synagogue is strictly prohibited to the uninitiated.
Medieval mechanism
It is quite possible that in the form of a legend about the clay protector of the Jews, information has come down to us about the bold experiments carried out in medieval Prague by the mathematician and philosopher Rabbi Loew. Perhaps he really managed to create some kind of mechanism like a giant robot. After all, mechanical figures, some of which were controlled by people sitting inside, and some moved quite independently, were known in medieval Europe. They were called automatons and were generally used to decorate watches. Of course, they were quite modest in size. Automatons were also known in Russia - according to rumors, Ivan the Terrible had a certain "iron man" who played the role of a servant.
If Rabbi Loew really created a giant robot and released it on the streets of medieval Prague, then, of course, this incident could not be interpreted otherwise than as a manifestation of witchcraft. In this case, the rabbi had no choice but to quickly destroy his creation, until the Inquisition came to grips with it. And, perhaps, in the attic of the Old New Synagogue some details are really kept that have survived from this miracle of technology? Alas, it is almost impossible to check this - excursions to the synagogue are allowed, but you cannot go up to the attic.
The legend of the golem survived the Middle Ages. For example, they say that during the Second World War, one of the soldiers of the Wehrmacht, who occupied Prague, despite the prohibitions, went up to the attic. And he really found a gigantic clay body there. He struck the golem and saw the giant disappear, as if disappearing into thin air.
As for Rabbi Lev, his remains rest in Prague, in the Old Jewish Cemetery, which is not far from the synagogue. His grave is a real pilgrimage site. It is believed that if you leave a note with a request on the tombstone, it will definitely come true. At the same time, the sages warn that this is dangerous. After all, the literal fulfillment of desire can bring not only happiness, but also grief. Similar to the one that Rabbi Leo himself knew, who could not cope with his own creation.
Victor BANEV