The Fifth Servant

Sort of a "Tuesday the Rabbi Slept Late" set in the Middle Ages, this book succeeds both as mystery and historical novel. Set in Prague's Jewish ghetto in 1592, it tells the tale of a blood libel incident, countless of which plagued Jews as late as the 20th century. They would falsely be accused of killing Christian children for their blood, and this served as an incitement for Christians to kill or riot against them, often conveniently eliminating the debts of wealthy Christians to Jewish moneylenders in the process. Chapter 11, drenched in blood. Most of the action is seen through the eyes of Benyamin Ben Akiva, an itinerant Talmudic scholar newly arrived in Prague for a lowly job. He becomes a witness to the event itself - the discovery of a Christian girl's body just before Passover in a Jewish shop. It's obviously a frame-up, but the question is whether he and a rabbi can exonerate the Jewish family before the entire ghetto is destroyed. Making their work more difficult, the ghetto is locked down. Jews can get neither in nor out. Their Talmudic reasoning leads their work on. What makes the book fascinating is Wishnia's portrayal of a medieval Jewish world where everything funnels back towards the Torah, and where conversation, both of the educated and the less-so, constantly refers back to Talmudic concepts. Akiva and Rabbi Loew use these not only to solve the mystery but even to talk hostile Gentiles into letting them do their work. Other characters include a Christian housemaid who falls in love with a gentle rabbinic student; a female herbalist trying to avoid ubiquitous charges of witchcraft; a brusque sheriff charged with escorting Akiva and Loew on their investigation; and Akiva's estranged and razor-tongued wife. The book is at times too postmodern, full of empowered women: They do men's work! And just as well as the men! Except when they're better! And the men are such jerks! (Women who are happy wives or mothers need not apply for inclusion as characters here.) And Wishnia is a little too willing to reduce Christianity to a nightmarish cartoon of ignorance, witch-hunting and anti-Semitism. His black-comic tone in depicting Christian clerics reminded me of "A Canticle for Leibowitz", a dystopian sci-fi novel set centuries after a nuclear war. I found references to "waterboarding" gratuitous; I'm not convinced that an Inquisition with iron maidens and autos-da-fe at its disposal used anything quite that gentle. (But Wishnia, as a college instructor on Long Island, may think tying Bush and Cheney to the Inquisition will help him get tenure there.) I rolled my eyes a bit at his afterword, in which he addresses God to tell him "You rock. Totally." Dude, He's, like, the Almighty and totally awesome and bitchin' and stuff, y'know? But you don't have to write like a teenager to justify your very good novel on the Middle Ages to the young, hip unwashed. Still, this is a fine book, the product of much research and, postmodernism

The Fifth Servant by Kenneth Wishnia is a fascinating mystery set in 1592 Prague. The Jewish people of Prague are forced to live in a gated in ghetto, and there is a tenuous coexistence between the Jews and the Christians. The balance is upset when a Christian girl is found murdered in the shop of the Jewish Federn family. The central figure of the story, Benyamin Ben-Akiva, is a shammes just in from Poland who will take on the task of clearing the name of the Federns and saving the Jewish community of Prague. The story that unfolds is one of many layers beyond the crime itself. Along the way readers will see a bishop who comes to the area to seek out those who practice witchcraft. Readers also get a feel for the tension between the Catholics and the Protestants with the Reformation not 100 years old yet. Even within the Jewish people there is division between the "Free Thinkers" and the more traditional Jews. Wishnia also mixes in a good does of the complicated European monarchy of the time with Emperor Rudolph II. The rulers of the day often sided with the religious groups that best served their own secular agenda. All of these factions translate to quite a few characters to keep track of. Some readers may find this a bit overwhelming, but Wishnia does a good job of tying weaving everything together into a cohesive whole. In addition to the diverse groups of people, Sixteenth Century Prague comes to life on the pages of The Fifth Servant. Readers are treated to the various homes of the Rabbis and other main characters, various shops, the Emperor's palace, and various streets within the Jewish ghetto. Wishnia's prose makes you feel like you are there. Wishnia also gives a good picture of how people thought in the late Sixteen Century. One of the Catholic bishops has some digestive problems, and some of the suggested treatments seem comical. On a more serious note this same bishop is a part of the Inquisition who is trying to stamp out witchcraft. Suspects of witchcraft and other crimes were subject to torture in order to gain confessions. However, the greatest insight comes from just how persecuted the Jews were in those days. Wishnia draws out the struggles that the Jews faced, but he also highlights there spirit and perseverance. It is not a story of pity, but one of triumph over circumstance. As much as Prague came alive on the pages of The Fifth Servant, so did the characters. None did this apply more to than Benyamin. His intellect and wit made him a very likable protagonist. I found myself laughing from time to time at some of the things he would say. Other characters that Wishnia developed well were Rabbi Loew (one of the free thinkers), Sheriff Zizska of Prague, and Anya (daughter of a Christian butcher). One note on Wishnia's writing style. He mixes in a fair amount of German, Czech, and Yiddish as well as a few words in Hebrew. He gives translations for everything that is important to the story, but some pe

This is the type of book which I don't usually recommend. This is not because it isn't excellent, but because the subject is so esoteric that many people might not like it. However, if you like a good read, a mesmerizing tale and to learn a lot of history you may not have known, run, don't walk to read this. Others before me have outlined the story so I won't go there. This, in a way, is a version of the Righteous Man - the tradition that there are thirty six "men" (I use that term advisedly) whose place on this earth is to save civilization. They don't know who they are, and no one else, except God, does either. However, as they move through life, they will do actions which will make the world more safe for everyone else. This book follows a Talmudic scholar and Shammes, Benyamin Ben-Akiva, who has come to Prague from Poland, following his disgruntled wife. She is no longer happy with their marriage and has run away to "discover herself". So, as Benyamin faces down opposition to solve the crime of the murder of a young Christian girl, he is also trying to straighten out his own marriage. The opposition comes both from the Christian Establishment and from Rabbis inside the ghetto. There are a lot of "I can't believe he said that" moments. There are also Jewish officials who prefer to stay with the old ideas and to criticize the new ideas of such as Maimonides. What was remarkable to me was how much arguing went on among these establishment clergy. They take discernment sessions and turn them into full blown propaganga sessions and open battles. As for the Christians, we hear about the Holocaust but this book shows how far back, in history, this anger toward Jews goes and explains, in part, why it was so easy to convince modern Germans, etc. to turn on the Jews. One of the things, about this book, which surprised me was the influence women had. Most of the things they accomplished were hidden, but they had to be. Most of the really bright characters in the story are women, both Jewish and Christian. I suppose, considering the way, the women were underrated, they had no where to go but up. It is those who are not happy with their lot who fight for the changes. So, I loved this book, and I have to recommend it. I know that there will be something in its pages which will be new to every reader.

In 1592, Talmudic scholar Benyamin Ben-Akiva travels from Poland to Prague in the midst of the Inquisition. When the body of a young Christian girl is found on the floor of a Jewish business, the new shammes (synagogue sexton) sets as his task the defense of the accused lest the whole Jewish community suffer. In this age where Jews are accused of using the blood of Christians in the making of the Passover bread, the blood libel placed on the shopkeeper threatens the entire Jewish ghetto. With his activities restricted by rabbinic law, Benyamin Ben-Akiva must use his wits and knowledge of Jewish law to solve the murder before Sunday. Can he find the clues he needs before time runs out? Kenneth Wishnia's THE FIFTH SERVANT is a clever mystery that takes the reader right into the heart of 16th century Prague's Jewish community. Historical detail and Jewish scholarship give the novel a sense of the period. From the clothing markers to identify Jews to their isolation within a ghetto and more, Kenneth Wishnia combines historical research with fictional imagination to bring to light this period from a point of view less frequently seen. THE FIFTH SERVANT sheds light on the prejudices experienced by the Jewish communities of the time as well as the atrocities endured during this time period. Kenneth Wishnia does an excellent job at revealing all the strange myths and the intricate connections between crown and pope in the laws which put the Jewish community in a unique position during the Inquisition. In the solving of the case, Benyamin Ben-Akiva refers to the Torah, the Talmud, and even the Kabbalah, giving this mystery its unique voice. A reader easily feels the respect for learning, books and scholarly tradition in this society. Even more delightful, Kenneth Wishnia infuses the more erudite discussions with a sense of humor. Benyamin Ben-Akiva has the ability to immerse himself within this tradition and yet also to see his own community and religion with an insider's humor. Kenneth Wishnia uses both Hebrew and Yiddish quite frequently. A very good glossary in the back assists readers with a less extensive background in these languages and Jewish traditions, although the publisher would have done better to include such key terms as shammes and shamus (policeman or private detective) in the glossary as well the initial pages preceding the author's note. Kenneth Wishnia divides the novel into three parts, each representing a day in the 3-day countdown, thus emphasizing the urgency and the restrictions on Benyamin Ben-Akiva's ability to investigate. THE FIFTH SERVANT is an excellent choice for the mystery and/or historical fiction lover who craves an entirely new voice and texture within the genre. Intellectualism, humor and practical everyday detail combine to create a look into the period and culture without pedanticism. Although the interpretations of texts might seem overly concerned with minute formalisms at times, these moments

A very interesting and well written book that gives the reader insight into life and death behind the walls of the Prague ghetto in 1592. It begins with the discovery of the corpse of a young Christian girl on the floor of a Jewish business. This discovery just feeds into the common belief of the people that the Jews use the blood of Christian children to make their matzos for Passover. There is the distinct threat of an invasion of the ghetto and the consequent pillage and murder that will ultimately follow. A jewish scholar who arrived from Poland is tasked with the attempt to solve the murder and save the people of the ghetto. Reading the book gives the reader a good view of how the inhabitants of the walled-in area feel about their confinement, and the fact that they are required by law to wear a yellow circle on their clothing to identify them as jews. So we see that the Nazis were not the first to brand Jews with clothing ids. There are many Jewish (and also Yiddish) words and phrases used throughout the book, but the author has thoughtfully added a glossary for those readers interested in knowing the meanings. I used it sparingly, just reading along and fitting the phrases into the context of the book. It worked most of the time. For those of us interested in a slice of blind bigotry in history told as fiction, but with a firm underlayment of truth, this book is not only an excellent read, but also an eye opener!