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Judaic Myths and Folklore Series By Dr. Ilil Arbel Lamed Vav The Lamed Vav are two letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Numerically, they represent 36. Legends tell that in this world, there always live thirty-six men who are also called Tzadikim Nistarim, or the Hidden Just Men. They are usually poor, unknown, obscure, and no one guesses that they are the ones who bear all the sorrows and sins of the world. It is for their sake that God does not destroy the world even when sin overwhelms mankind. When one of the Lamed Vav dies, another is immediately chosen to take his place. Often, the Tzadik Nistar does not even know he is chosen for the task. As long as the Lamed Vav continue to serve humanity and God in this fashion, the world will go on. But if at some point God will not be able to find someone just and good enough to replace a dying Tzadik, the world will end immediately. Metatron  Metatron, by Aaron Zeitlin (Warsaw: Alt-yung, l922). The myths of Metatron are extremely complicated, and at least two separate versions exist. The first version states he came into being when God created the world, and immediately assumed his many responsibilities. The second claims that he was first a human named Enoch, a pious, good man who had ascended to Heaven a few times, and eventually was transformed into a fiery angel. Some later books adopt the first version, some the second, and in other literature both are combined. There are even two versions of the name Metatron, one spelled with seven letters, the other with six, lacking the Hebrew letter "yod." The Kabbalists explained that the six-letter name represents the Enoch-related Metatron, while the seven-letter name refers to the primordial Metatron. Despite the elaborate debate, the origin of Metatron's name is not clear. Many attempts have been made to explain it, but none of them is satisfactory, since the word has no real meaning or root in any language. Some authors think it may be derived from private meditations and visions, or even glossolalia. This article concentrates on the Metatron-Enoch version. Metatron is one of the most important angels in the heavenly hierarchy. He is a member of a special group that is permitted to look at God's countenance, an honor most angels do not share.
Photo: Enoch. In the literature, Metatron is often referred to as "the Prince of the Countenance." In the Babylonian Talmud, Metatron is mentioned only three times, but the references are important. All three relate to the problem of Metatron's immense power, which may have caused some people to confuse him with God. In later literature he was even mentioned as the "lesser Yahweh" -- a serious blasphemy for the strictly Monotheistic Judaism. Later, some authors tried to resolve the issue by showing how the Hebrew letters of the name of a mythical predecessor, the angel Yahoel (later to be entirely identified with Metatron), were the same letters as those in the name of Yahweh. Another legend states that God himself named him so, out of affection. A fascinating legend tells of a particularly interesting and famous Jewish heretic, Elisha ben Avuyah, who saw Metatron sitting by God's side, occupying the same type of throne. This made Elisha suspect that two equal powers operated in the universe -- God and Metatron. The legend continues to explain that he made a false assumption, which indeed cost Elisha his position within the Jewish community. According to these scholars, God permitted Metatron to sit because, as God's scribe, he recorded the good deeds of the Nation of Israel. This story works very well with two of Metatron's many heavenly tasks: a scribe and an advocate, defending the Nation of Israel in the heavenly court. Enoch, a pious teacher, scribe and leader of his people, is famed for the part he took in the tragedy of the fallen angels (see Watchers). Living during a time of great sins, around the flood, he had visited Heaven more than once. However, the time was ripe for a most significant trip. One night, two angels woke him up and commanded him to prepare for his journey. They took him on their wings, and showed him all the Heavens and their inhabitants, including a side trip to Paradise and to the place of punishment and torture of the sinners, which strangely enough was located not too far from paradise. He observed the activity of the sun and the moon, and made a visit of consolation to rebellious angels, the Grigori, succeeding in bringing them closer to God. After the tour, the great Angels Gabriel and Michael lead him straight to God's Throne. Sitting next to God, Enoch was instructed in wisdom, and using his skills as a scribe, prepared three hundred and sixty-six books. When he learned everything, a most significant thing happened. God revealed to him great secrets -- some of which are even kept secret from the angels! These included the secrets of Creation, the duration of time the world will survive, and what will happen after its demise. At the end of these discussions, Enoch returned to earth for a limited time, to instruct everyone, including his sons, in all he learned. After thirty days, the angels returned him to Heaven. And then the divine transformation took place. Additional wisdom and spiritual qualities caused Enoch's height and breadth to become equal to the height and breadth of the earth. God attached thirty-six wings to his body, and gave him three hundred and sixty-five eyes, each as bright as the sun. His body turned into celestial fire -- flesh, veins, bones, hair, all metamorphosed to glorious flame. Sparks emanated from him, and storms, whirlwind, and thunder encircled his form. The angels dressed him in magnificent garments, including a crown, and arranged his throne. A heavenly herald proclaimed that from then on his name would no longer be Enoch, but Metatron, and that all angels must obey him, as second only to God.
Rabbi Loeb Rabbi Loeb and the Golem of Prague.
GOLEM Of all the Golem legends, none is as famous as the story cycle of the Golem of Prague. There had been books, plays, and even films depicting it, and often they included the creator of the Golem of Prague, Rabbi Loeb. Prague was home to many Jewish scholars and mystics; Rabbi Loeb was probably the most famous. He lived a long life, 1513-1609, and defended his people valiantly against their enemies. His followers loved him so much they called him "The Exalted One." Even to a holy man, or a great mystic, creating life is forbidden. It can only be justified if many lives would be saved by doing so, and not always even then. But Rabbi Loeb was instructed to try the horrifying task. He created his Golem with divine help, using Kabbalistic formulas communicated to him in dreams. Acquiring this God-given knowledge was neither simple nor easy. The formulas were given, but deciphering them had to be done by the person himself. Worse, he had to use the Shem Hameforash -- the true name of God, which was known only to a few holy men in each generation, and was very dangerous to pronounce. The power it unleashed could turn against the man who uttered it. This myth is unusual in that it is supposed to have happened in a specific year -- 1580. There was a new danger brewing in Prague; a notorious priest, Taddeush, planned to accuse the Jews of a new "ritual murder." Rabbi Loeb heard about it, and to avert the horrible danger, directed a dream question to heaven to help him save his people. He received his answer in an order that is alphabetical in Hebrew: Ata Bra Golem Devuk Hakhomer VeTigzar Zedim Chevel Torfe Yisroel The simple meaning was: Make a Golem of clay and you will destroy the entire Jew-baiting company. But this was only part of the message. The inner meaning had to be understood to be effective. Rabbi Loeb extracted the real message by using Zirufim, special Kabbalistic formulas. And when he was done, he knew he could accomplish the creation of a the Golem. He called two people to assist him. His son-in-law, a Kohen (a Jew descended from the ancient order of priests) and his pupil, a Levite (a Jew descended from the servants of the Temple). He explained that they needed four elements -- fire, water, air and earth. The two assistants represented the fire and water, Rabbi Loeb, air, and the Golem, earth. He explained how they had to purify themselves, because unless they were completely ready, the Shem Hameforash would destroy them. After a day of purification, they read various chapters from a particularly holy book, Sefer Yezira (The Book of Creation) and then went to the River Moldau. By torchlight, they sculpted a giant body out of river clay. The Golem lay before them, facing the heaven. They placed themselves at his feet, looking at the quiet face. The Kohen walked seven times around the body, from right to left, reciting special Zirufim. The clay turned bright red, like fire. Then the Levite walked another seven times around the body, from left to right, reciting some more Zirufim. The fire-like redness disappeared, and water flowed through the body. He grew hair and nails. Then Rabbi Loeb walked once around the body, and placed a piece of parchment in his mouth, on which was written Shem Hameforash. He bowed to the East, West, South and North, and all three of them recited together: "And He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." The Golem opened his eyes and looked at his creator. They dressed him and took him to the synagogue, where he could get ready to start his mission. Eventually, when the Golem was no longer necessary (and some claim he went mad and became a danger to everyone) Rabbi Loeb decided to return him to the void from which he came. He did that by recalling the Shem Hameforash, and with it the life principle, and thus restored the Golem into lifeless clay. The clay figure had to be hidden in the attic of the synagogue, and no one was permitted to enter it again until many years later. Some writers during the nineteenth century claimed that the outlines of a giant body could still be seen there.
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