Joseph The Golem In Jewish Culture

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Many times there are characters that are represented as equals, even though they share a different identity and time period; this notion remains true with Joseph the Golem and Yod the Cyborg as they are seen to have a correlation to the legends of the Jewish Golem. Jewish priests created Joseph the Golem from clay to be a protector of the Jewish people, due to threats from the Christians. The Golem, Joseph, was not a typical story of a human creation, due to the fact that he was created from clay. This gives us insight into the Jewish culture, as it differs from many other times of creation stories around the world. There is an intersection between these novels that sheds light on what the golem was and why it was created, by the different …show more content…

“Golems, robots, androids, humanoids, automations-these partly overlapping terms identify human creations, which, especially golems, can be helpful or monstrous. These man-made human-looking creatures, which recur throughout Jewish culture and ultimately in the modern era, present a split personality”(The Golem ix). Many of these classifications are man made creations, which differ not only by their looks, but also by their purpose. Whether it is tied to history, culture, or motive most of them have distinct roles, in which they were created to fulfill. “The figure of the golem is more likely to be linked to work than to play. The practical golem is designed solely to labor-to fulfill the temporally focused will of its creator. As a slave to the commands of his master, he is little different from brute matter, a tool with no autonomy”(Cyborg Manifesto 85). Even though Yod the cyborg and Joseph the golem are two different types of man-made creations, they are in a way slaves to their masters as they are created and programmed in this manner. “The Golem stood up… Rabbi Leyb said to the Golem: You have to know that we created you so that you would protect the Jews from harm. Your name is Joseph, and you will be my beadle. You must do everything that I command, even if it means jumping into fire or water, until you’ve carried out my orders precisely.” He had given him the spirit of Joseph Sheday, who was half man and half demon”(The Golem 14). Yod is seen to be treated vastly different from the golem, as Yod is more of a family figure and Joseph is more of a

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