He, She and It

Judah is exhausted. Upon waking, he immediately sets about dressing and concealing the Golem, who is fascinated by minutiae of life on the streets of Prague. His sheer size is frightening. Judah teaches Joseph how to be the shamash at the synagogue, telling him to keep quiet and focus on his duties. As shamash, Joseph is a helper around the synagogue. He learns quickly how to fit in, and Judah decides that it is time to expand his duties. There is unrest in Prague, and Thaddeus the Spanish priest is preaching to large crowds about the dangers of the Jews.

Joseph is tasked with patrolling the streets. He must be given strict instructions but asks many questions and learns quickly, becoming the “unofficial policeman of the night, a solitary patrol of peace” (125). People thank him in the street. However, Easter is soon and Judah worries about Thaddeus and trouble caused by the Christians. One April night, a party of rowdy knights breaks into the ghetto, looking for trouble. They begin to harass Chava the midwife, but Joseph stops them, murdering all of the knights. The next day, Joseph is brought into a prayer to make a minyon.