Zaddik

By David Rosenbaum

Book Overview

Recently divorced, spiritually adrift, and recovering from alcoholism, Dov Taylor, an ex-cop from the NYPD, is called upon to recover one of the world's greatest treasures: the Seer's Stone, a magnificent 72-carat diamond. The gem was to be used as dowry in a historic wedding meant to unite two powerful, bitterly antagonistic Hasidic sects, but has been removed from the sanctum of New York City's diamond center and placed in the hands of the Magician, a Nazi collaborator and notorious war criminal. In a difficult quest of recovery, Taylor forges a link through time and solicits the help of his exalted ancestor, Hirsh Leib of Orlik-- a zaddik and prince of Israel from 19th-century Poland, a country ravaged by war and fanaticism. To succeed, Taylor must commit his very life to a law older and more awesome than any on the books.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0892965401
• ISBN13: 9780892965403
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Mysterious Press
• Length: 438 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.3" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

From New York reality to stetl mysticism -- and back again

This novel starts out as a typical cop story, with the gruesome ritual murder of a Hasidic diamond dealer and his secretary in New York City. The official detective on the scene is a clueless and rather antisemitic gentile who is not likely to ever solve the murders -- and the Hasidim know this. So they hire David Taylor, a Jewish ex-cop who has been studying Hasidism with a Lubovitcher rabbi in an attempt to find his roots. He's not a pious Jew by any means, but he does know enough about the Hasidic culture to open doors that would be closed to the gentile cop. The motive for the murders is a flawless 72-carat diamond -- a magnificent stone that nobody in the diamond business has even seen, but which definitely exists. It belongs to the Satmarer Rebbe, a Hasidic leader who was planning to include it in his daughter's dowry. She is betrothed to the adopted son of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. (A fictional character -- there is no such son. The surname of the Rebbe, "Seligman," is also fictional. The real Lubovitcher's name was Schneerson.) This is a highly controversial marriage between two powerful warring sects, and there are plenty of people -- mafia, Israeli agents, ex-Nazis, ex-KGBs, greedy dealers, a murderous psychopath -- who want to stop this alliance and/or get their hands on that valuable diamond. That's the hard-boiled cop part. As the story develops, an element of magical realism enters the picture. The murdered man was a Satmarer, and Taylor must meet with the Satmarer Rebbe and receive his blessing if he is to get any information out of the community. What follows is a very strange interview. The Rebbe refuses to talk directly to Taylor because he is a sinner, and speaks, instead, to David's saintly ancestor, Reb Hirsh Leib. Is this the bigotry of a mad religious fanatic -- or is the Rebbe REALLY speaking to the soul of Taylor's great-great-great grandfather? From this point on, mysticism becomes entwined with realism. The point is repeatedly made that "There is no before or after in Torah." In the mind of God, past and present are intertwined. In Part Two of the novel, Taylor is transported in a vision to Hirsh Leib's world in 18th-century Eastern Europe, where we learn the origins of the diamond, it's connection to Taylor's ancestor, Hirsh Leib -- and a lot of other things I won't tell you about now. This knowledge, in turn helps Taylor solve the murders in Part Three -- and much more. The book is well-written and tightly plotted, with plenty of twists and turns that will keep you reading far into the night. However, there were too many graphic scenes (definitely X-rated) and some bloopers about Hasidic culture, which is why I am docking it a star. Most of the bloopers were relatively minor, but still... (Writers of this kind of novel really should hire a Hasidic copy editor. The publishers' editors seem to be generally clueless and just don't catch the errors.) One of the more baffling bloopers was the statem

Brilliant and original!

The book is a stunning mix of hard boiled crime fiction and magical realism. In addition, it provides a thorough education into the worlds of Chassidism and the diamond trade. No matter what your persuasion, you'll find it fascinating.

An Amazing Ride!!

This book is an unusual combination of mystery and Hasidic folk-tales. The protagonist, Dov Taylor is a Jewish recovering alchoholic and ex-policeman whose life has fallen apart and who is experimenting with searching for his Jewish roots. The mystery centers around an enormous diamond and several murders that are committed in the New York diamond district because of it. Old Nazis, the mob, and the Israeli secret service all seem to be involved. Mid-way through the novel, the detective has a dream or regression into a former life in 18th century Poland as the history of the diamond is revealed (Hasidic masters and Napoleon are involved!!!) To risk cliche, this book is a real page-turner and difficult to put down. My only complaint is that the cause for the detective's alcoholism (he accidentally shot and killed a child) and his involvement with AA seem to have been directly lifted from Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder novels. Otherwise this is a fascinating read.