THE GOLEM-

By Peter Vuono

Dedicated to Dorian


     In the 16th century, the Rabbi of Prague , Judah Loew ben Bazalel was very concerned that Pope Leo II
was bent on "cleansing" Prague of the Jewish people. Rabbi Loew, realizing that something had to be done went to the river and assembled a large man out of clay. He would recite many religious incantations and attach a Shem- or word for God. The creature came to life and would stand as a protector of the ghetto of Prague. When the danger was over, Rabbi Loew removed the Shem and the Golem turned to ashes in the attic of the Rabbi's Temple.
   The Torah, Qu'ran and the Bible ALL tell stories of angels and if they are real, they serve to do the same as Rabbi Loew's Golem did but in a less violent way. In the 90's I was never more at peace in my home as when I was reading Gustav Meyrink's account of Rabbi Loew's heroism. Years later, I had some interesting experiences. I, on 3 occasions thought I saw a diminutive visage of a child run into my son's room. Every time I got up and went in there , all I could see was a large painting that Mike got as a gift of an angel helping a child across a river.
  At about the same time,  we were all, one summer's day, stranded in a parking lot with my two young kids with a flat tire and no Triple A. Out of nowhere two elderly people appeared and they coincidentally had every tool I needed. I was out of jack oil- they had it. I didn't have a 4-way- they had it. I needed an inflation device for the spare- they had it. Coincidence?
  More recently, in Feb of 2016 my friend Dorian and I were snow blowing neighbors' homes. He noticed a very large cracked branch near where I was working. I estimated a 300-400 weight with the snow. He warned me to look up(as if toward heaven) if I passed again. I did, heard a tremendous crack and jumped back only a foot. The branch demolished the snow blower. Is Dorian a Golem? I think he was used as such.
  The point I'm trying to make is that Rabbi Loew had it right. HOWEVER, in order to be protected by either the Golem or by an angel of the Lord, we must first petition for protection and like exercise, do it daily.
The Golem, through Dorian, saved my life because for years prior I had asked for protection for me and my loved ones.
  It doesn't matter how you ask, just so long as you do.

"All God's angels come to us disguised"- James Russell Lowell