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The Rabbi Small Mysteries #6
Wednesday the Rabbi Got Wet
A pharmaceutical mishap draws Rabbi Small into a murder investigation in this New York Times bestseller
New Age thinking has come to Barnard’s Crossing, Massachusetts. The recently elected president of Rabbi David Small’s synagogue is intent on using temple money to build a meditation retreat. The congregation is practicing yoga, buying crystals, and reciting chants. When a troubled young man returns to the town after spending time in a controversial Hasidic cult, the rabbi expects him to be another New Ager. But things take a grisly turn away from new-fangled mantras of peace and love when something terribly old fashioned happens: murder.
An elderly patient dies after being given the wrong medication by the local pharmacist, who coincidentally is also the Hasidic man’s father. When the dead man’s family suggests the mix-up was intentional, both the druggist and his son become suspects and it’s up to Rabbi Small to investigate by drawing on some Old Testament wisdom in a village of New Age fads.
New Age thinking has come to Barnard’s Crossing, Massachusetts. The recently elected president of Rabbi David Small’s synagogue is intent on using temple money to build a meditation retreat. The congregation is practicing yoga, buying crystals, and reciting chants. When a troubled young man returns to the town after spending time in a controversial Hasidic cult, the rabbi expects him to be another New Ager. But things take a grisly turn away from new-fangled mantras of peace and love when something terribly old fashioned happens: murder.
An elderly patient dies after being given the wrong medication by the local pharmacist, who coincidentally is also the Hasidic man’s father. When the dead man’s family suggests the mix-up was intentional, both the druggist and his son become suspects and it’s up to Rabbi Small to investigate by drawing on some Old Testament wisdom in a village of New Age fads.
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1976
367 people are currently reading
554 people want to read
About the author
Harry Kemelman
64 books146 followersHarry Kemelman was an American mystery writer and a professor of English. He was the creator of one of the most famous religious sleuths, Rabbi David Small.
His writing career began with short stories for Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine featuring New England college professor Nicky Welt, the first of which, "The Nine Mile Walk", is considered a classic.
The Rabbi Small series began in 1964 with the publication of Friday the Rabbi Slept Late, which became a huge bestseller, a difficult achievement for a religious mystery, and won Kemelman a 1965 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. The Rabbi Small books are not only mysteries, but also considerations of Conservative Judaism.
His writing career began with short stories for Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine featuring New England college professor Nicky Welt, the first of which, "The Nine Mile Walk", is considered a classic.
The Rabbi Small series began in 1964 with the publication of Friday the Rabbi Slept Late, which became a huge bestseller, a difficult achievement for a religious mystery, and won Kemelman a 1965 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. The Rabbi Small books are not only mysteries, but also considerations of Conservative Judaism.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
January 15, 2011
Another nice Rabbi Small mystery - I've read from Friday to Wednesday now. These are quiet little murder mysteries, set in a small town in Massachusetts in the 1960's and 70's. They're quick reads, simply written, and the stories are used as a framework for giving the reader gentle lessons in Judaism. The rabbi solves the mysteries using "Talmudic reasoning and insight".
In this book, the rabbi is proving obstinate again. The temple board of directors wants to buy some property in New Hampshire to establish a retreat, and Rabbi Small objects, partially on the grounds that such a thing "smacks of Christianity rather than Judaism.... It suggests convents and monasteries, an ivory-tower attitude. Retreat - the word itself suggests retiring from life and the world. That's not Judaic. We participate." To finance the purchase the board intends to sell some property that was bequeathed to the temple, and the rabbi explains how this would conflict with the man's dying wish, and thus break Jewish law, if not the law of the land.
And oh, yeah, there's a murder to be solved, too.
In this book, the rabbi is proving obstinate again. The temple board of directors wants to buy some property in New Hampshire to establish a retreat, and Rabbi Small objects, partially on the grounds that such a thing "smacks of Christianity rather than Judaism.... It suggests convents and monasteries, an ivory-tower attitude. Retreat - the word itself suggests retiring from life and the world. That's not Judaic. We participate." To finance the purchase the board intends to sell some property that was bequeathed to the temple, and the rabbi explains how this would conflict with the man's dying wish, and thus break Jewish law, if not the law of the land.
And oh, yeah, there's a murder to be solved, too.
February 16, 2018
I really enjoy this series. I'm glad my sister introduced me to it. The books are informative about Judaism, and thought-provoking about religion in general. The rabbi reasons out the mysteries and the conclusions are usually a surprise to me.
August 5, 2016
It's interesting jumping from book one to book six and seeing how Kemelman has developed as a writer. He's got the pacing and tone of a good mystery novel and uses the form well to investigate the tensions of religious Jewish life in the mid-seventies: the ecstatic prayer, meditation, and spiritual exploration that drew so many Conservative Jews to Havurah, Carlebach, and the Renewal movement and away from the more formal and structured practice of Kemelman's Rabbi Small.
As a reader who grew up steeped in that more spiritual Jewish practice (and who has seen its long-term impact on American Judaism), it's amusing and somewhat fascinating to see Kemelman's verdict: the meditation yearnings in Rabbi Small's congregation turn out to be a flash in the pan, ultimately unsatisfying and unsustainable as gurus move through town and on to greener pastures. Rabbi Small's order and tradition win out, regaining the confidence and support of his flock. But he still gives a nod of respect to the Hasidic mixture of strict practice and ecstatic faith of a fellow rabbi in another (safely distant) community.
As a reader who grew up steeped in that more spiritual Jewish practice (and who has seen its long-term impact on American Judaism), it's amusing and somewhat fascinating to see Kemelman's verdict: the meditation yearnings in Rabbi Small's congregation turn out to be a flash in the pan, ultimately unsatisfying and unsustainable as gurus move through town and on to greener pastures. Rabbi Small's order and tradition win out, regaining the confidence and support of his flock. But he still gives a nod of respect to the Hasidic mixture of strict practice and ecstatic faith of a fellow rabbi in another (safely distant) community.
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January 10, 2016Once again my favorite rabbi book character helps to solve a murder. Rabbi David Small reminds me of the TV detective Columbo, not because of his attire but because he asks questions and/or listens to people and uses his unorthodox reasoning skills to come to a conclusion. His main job, as he sees it, is to remind his congregation when they seem to be straying from the correct path according to his religion. And therefore he explains differences between Christianity and Judaism, ostensibly to a character in the book but actually to the reader. If I had one criticism it would be that the female characters are so marginal. Rabbi Small's wife Miriam only serves as a foil to provide information to the reader, as do the other female characters. And when he shuts himself up in his study, which he does quite a bit, she is way more understanding than a human wife would be.
August 1, 2012
This is the second Rabbi Small mystery that I have read. I started with Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home, which I would say may not have been the best starting point, but that is okay. I enjoyed this book - it is your regular sort of formulaic mystery that I will not entirely comment on for fear of giving anything away, but basically revolves around a local prominent businessman dying after a sudden illness, and the surrounding controversy regarding a storm and an extremely busy pharmacy. In terms of the congregation, there is the normal bickering about how some money is to be spent, and what to do about some real estate. It was entertaining, fast paced, and not the most well written books I have ever read, but a fun read nonetheless. I was able to digest it in 3 visits to the gym, so it is a quick read. The beauty in the Rabbi Small mysteries is the subtle philosophy that Kemelman throws into the books - and mind you they are small and thoughtful pieces that are not really religious, per se, but rather reflect on ethics and being a good person, and these are reflected in not only Rabbi Small's religion, but of the people around town. This book did have an interesting little part toward the end regarding the roots of the Jewish faith and how it may be interpreted by other faiths, and what is interesting is that it is seamlessly thrown in to the text where it needs to be, and the rest of the characters in the book are usually just as knowledgeable as the audience; there is always something to learn and take away thematically from the book in addition to it just being a sort of paperback mystery. It is fast, fun, and if you like mysteries that can teach you something about the detective's career or life that you may know nothing about, this is another mystery that will satiate your appetite.
September 8, 2013
I really do like the rabbi in this series. And I particularly like that the people in his congregation and the other people that are interacted with are well-rounded characters. I like Lanigan and the relationship they have. I do not like that the rabbi has a daughter named Hepsibah (really? Hepsibah?), but presumably that's a cultural thing. I enjoyed the mystery here, especially since I didn't see the resolution coming - I will say that the 18 bothered me throughout and I was a bit annoyed when it seemed like it wouldn't be resolved, but I felt the same way about the way the temple board behaved and that didn't get resolved. I do hope that Kaplan felt appropriately chastened for his behaviour.
April 23, 2020
I really enjoyed this book featuring Rabbi David Small. He's a wise rabbi and always knows his Jewish law. He also knows human behavior and is able to ensure his congregation is acting ethically. In this story, he helps discover what happened to the prescription that killed old man Ketsler. Great storytelling. Plus these were some of my father's favorite mystery stories so it was nice to think about him as I read it.
June 17, 2010
I like a quick read and enjoy the explanations of Judaism mixed in with the mystery of who killed Mr. Kestler and why. Was it an accident, was it murder, only the Rabbi is tenacious enough to follow all the threads and discover the truth.
January 1, 2017
I enjoyed this and will look for others in the series. It's especially tasty for those of us with an interest in/knowledge of Judaism--those without it will likely feel a little left out (and maybe bored).
Also, the 70s were weird, and don't let the Baby Boomers tell you otherwise.
Also, the 70s were weird, and don't let the Baby Boomers tell you otherwise.
January 19, 2018
I had only read the first book in the series when I bought this one (#6). There wasn't any problem skipping ahead in the series, and it was a solid mystery with some interesting reflections about the nature of Judaism (a religion that is more ethics-based than mystical).
September 2, 2012
Kemelman's books were always as much about learning as solving the mystery. This one was no exception.
November 7, 2021
This is my favorite in the series. They are good as little cozy mysteries where you can solve the whodunit with clues in the story, and there's always something to learn about (Kemelman's perspective on) the meaning of Judaism in the context of evolving American culture.
March 9, 2022
Another interesting, entertaining and informative Rabbi Small mystery novel. Although the category did not exist when the novel was written, this is one solid 'cozy mystery'.
September 9, 2014
Back in the mists of time (when I was in high school), I gave Harry Kemelman's Rabbi David Small series a whirl. I don't have reviews from that era of reading and I apparently didn't even think enough of (or read enough of) my sampling to think it merited an entry with a star rating in my reading log. But it seems to me that Wednesday the Rabbi Got Wet (1976) is the very book I tried and didn't connect with. So, when it came up as I did a search for a suitable "Silver" book that I would have to borrow to read for the Vintage Mystery Bingo Challenge, I decided to give Rabbi Small another try. Unfortunately, I have to report that he still doesn't do a whole lot for me. Oh, the plot is serviceable enough, but the characters just don't engage me. According to the book flap on my library's edition, Rabbi Small is supposed to be one of the "most endearing sleuths in modern fiction." I'm afraid that I just don't see it; he comes across as rather bland to me. But...let's talk about the plot for a moment.
This sixth outing for Rabbi Small involves the mysterious death of an elderly man with his fair share of enemies. Old man Kestler dies from an apparent mix-up in medication. Was it an accident on the part of the dispensing pharmacist? Did a family member give him too much--thinking if one is good then two is better? Or was there some malice aforethought? When Kestler's son starts stirring up trouble with threats of a malpractice suit against the doctor involved, Police Chief Hugh Lanigan begins to quietly investigate...taking Rabbi Small into his confidence along the way. But when Lanigan arrests a troubled young man who has come home to his father's pharmacy and who had a past history of difficulty with Kestler, the good rabbi begins to investigate in earnest and finds ties to his own congregation and a planned real estate deal.
As mentioned above, the plot is serviceable. But it is also uninspired and not quite what I expect of a murder mystery. It's hard to stay interested when the mystery isn't entirely what one has bargained for. And the characters didn't engage me either. They just seemed to be going through the motions of a role in a mystery story. The book was a quick read for all that and decent. But I'm fairly certain that I won't be revisiting Rabbi Small again.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
This sixth outing for Rabbi Small involves the mysterious death of an elderly man with his fair share of enemies. Old man Kestler dies from an apparent mix-up in medication. Was it an accident on the part of the dispensing pharmacist? Did a family member give him too much--thinking if one is good then two is better? Or was there some malice aforethought? When Kestler's son starts stirring up trouble with threats of a malpractice suit against the doctor involved, Police Chief Hugh Lanigan begins to quietly investigate...taking Rabbi Small into his confidence along the way. But when Lanigan arrests a troubled young man who has come home to his father's pharmacy and who had a past history of difficulty with Kestler, the good rabbi begins to investigate in earnest and finds ties to his own congregation and a planned real estate deal.
As mentioned above, the plot is serviceable. But it is also uninspired and not quite what I expect of a murder mystery. It's hard to stay interested when the mystery isn't entirely what one has bargained for. And the characters didn't engage me either. They just seemed to be going through the motions of a role in a mystery story. The book was a quick read for all that and decent. But I'm fairly certain that I won't be revisiting Rabbi Small again.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
March 8, 2013
I think I read the first set of these when they came out but haven't seen them around for a long time. There is a temptation to read these as a short course on Conservative Judaism but the mysteries are very good. This one involves the complex interactions among several families and members of those families. I can understand the hurt feelings when a son decides to become an observant Jew and therefore doesn't want to eat at home where his mother doesn't keep kosher and I understand the difficulties between an old fashioned, rather stiff, father and the son who finds him almost impossible to tolerate. The idea of a pharmacist making an error, let alone two, in dispensing prescriptions left me shaking my head. As we move through the machinations of the synagogue board we discover the position of the rabbi within the structure and indeed it is totally different from any christian officiant. I think that Rabbi Small takes it a bit far in saying that he wants to be free of restraints and able to create his own job. He is paid a salary by the congregation and that involves him in a bit more than David likes, but he who pays the piper calls the tune so unless he's going to be a complete scholar, writing, teaching and speaking in public, then he just has to deal with the nasty part of congregational life, meaning the infighting, lobbying, and general resentments that boil up periodically. This book was written in 1976 so I don't know how much change there has been, if any, but I have always thought it strange the way women seem separate from the worship in the synagogue. The board is all male (not unusual then in any organization), it's men that are expected to say the morning and evening prayers, either at home or as part of the minimum of ten men for the minyan, it's men's attendance at sabbath service that is important and of course rabbi, cantor and sexton are all male. The women get their information as to what is going on from gossip at the supermarket or over tea and it just seems as if there are two totally separate communities that come together for meals. I might not have really paid attention to this part if it weren't the 50th anniversary of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique. I enjoyed this book, though, especially following the logic as Kememlman lays it out, in spite of the several fortuitous incidents that helped the solution along.
October 12, 2014
The first third of the book feels like not-very-exciting sketches in the life of the Jewish community of a small New England town. (As near as I can tell, Barnard's Crossing is somewhere near Woburn.) Then somebody dies. At first, this seems like just another detail of the setting. Things then rapidly accelerate, once it becomes clear the death was due to foul play. The last third of the book went by in a rush, and I found myself enjoying it much more than I expected.
It feels very different from most mystery novels. There's fairly little action, most of the characters aren't directly connected to the murder, and many of the side plots aren't closely tied to the main narrative.
This is the sixth book in a series. I hadn't read anything else in the series, but I didn't feel like I missed anything jumping in here.
It feels very different from most mystery novels. There's fairly little action, most of the characters aren't directly connected to the murder, and many of the side plots aren't closely tied to the main narrative.
This is the sixth book in a series. I hadn't read anything else in the series, but I didn't feel like I missed anything jumping in here.
October 5, 2012
In the midst of a terrible storm in Barnard's Crossing lives will pass, fuse and explode like the lightning lashing the land. An old man calls in a doctor, even though he is suing him. A much-tried wife needs medicine as well. A father wants to pass his drugstore on to his son who has come home for a visit. The son thinks his life lies elsewhere. The Rabbi is dashing through the rain, trying not to get wet and is not succeeding very well. But the real storm will break after the physical storm has passed, for a man lies dead.
June 10, 2019
3.5*
The mystery plot of this 6th book in the series was better than the previous book (although I still figured it out fairly early). I was interested in the mystical Judaism that Hasidic Jews believe in, especially in the setting of the early 1970s when many 'hippies' were investigating a number of different mystical beliefs. The way that various characters of differing ages reacted to this movement gave a range of perspectives, to me all the more interesting today when I can imagine myself in different roles in different times of my life!
The mystery plot of this 6th book in the series was better than the previous book (although I still figured it out fairly early). I was interested in the mystical Judaism that Hasidic Jews believe in, especially in the setting of the early 1970s when many 'hippies' were investigating a number of different mystical beliefs. The way that various characters of differing ages reacted to this movement gave a range of perspectives, to me all the more interesting today when I can imagine myself in different roles in different times of my life!
October 8, 2016
When an sick old man dies from penicillin allergy the police takes notice and as usual it is Rabbi Small who finally puts all the pieces together. This book was a bit heavy on temple politics, but was otherwise a nice mystery.
May 28, 2018
Not one of the best of the series. But nice to be back in the little community of David Small.
December 13, 2021
This is a detective novel featuring a rabbi who solves murders in his free time using Talmudic reasoning. In the 1970s, Harry Kemelman published a dozen novels about Rabbi Small. This is the first one I read. The mystery was not too exciting — it was really just a fun device to explain basic questions of Jewish theology.
A month ago, I read an East German biography of Moses Mendelssohn. The author, in order to explain the difference between Judaism and Christianity, quoted extensively from this novel, which had been translated to German and published in East Berlin. That's how it ended up on my reading list. Here is the entire passage that fascinated me:
… ours is an ethical religion, a way of life.”
“Aren’t they all?”
The rabbi pursed his lips. “Why, no. Christianity, for example, is a mystical religion.”
“You mean that Christians are not ethical?”
The rabbi made a gesture of impatience. “Of course they are. But it is a secondary thing with them. What is enjoined on them primarily is faith in the Man-God Jesus. And their ethics are derived from the principle that if they believe in Jesus as the Son of God and their Saviour, then they will try to emulate him and hence will behave ethically. There is also the belief, common among the evangelical sects, that if you truly believe, ‘if you let Jesus come into your life’ is the usual formula, ethical behavior will come automatically. And sometimes it works.” He cocked his head to one side and considered. Then he nodded vigorously. “Sure. If you have your thoughts on heaven, you are less likely to covet the things of this world. Your foot may slip occasionally, of course, but not as much as it would if that were all you had to think about. On the other hand, you might get to thinking that any fancy that flits through your mind is the word of God.
“With us, however, faith in the Christian sense is almost meaningless, since God is by definition unknowable. What does it mean to say I believe in what I don’t know and can’t know? Theoretically, Christianity has the same view of God, which is why His Son was born on earth and lived as a man. Because being a man, He could be known. But we don’t share this belief. Our religion is a code of ethical behavior. The code of Moses, the Torah, is a set of rules and laws governing behavior. The prophets preached ethical behavior. And the rabbis whose discussion and debates form the Talmud were concerned with spelling out in meticulous detail just how the general rules of behavior were to be implemented. I might mention in passing, that’s why we have done so little proselytizing over the years. Because we have nothing to sell; no secrets, no magic formula, no ceremonial initiation that will open the gates of heaven. When a Christian comes to me for conversion, as they do now and again, that’s what I tell them, because, of course, we have nothing to offer except our ethics and our way of life. And if he says that’s what he’s interested in, that he’d like to share it, I tell him to go ahead, there’s nothing to prevent him, that with us the ethical Gentile stands as high before God as does the High Priest of Israel.”
What I particularly enjoyed about the novel was a look at life in Jewish communities on the East Coast in the 1970s. Most of the characters were second-generation immigrants: professionals of different sorts, approaching retirement and with adult children, whose parents had came from the "old country." These communities produced many young Jewish radicals of the 1970s. I'm not sure I need another 11 books about Rabbi Small, but this was an entertaining read.
A month ago, I read an East German biography of Moses Mendelssohn. The author, in order to explain the difference between Judaism and Christianity, quoted extensively from this novel, which had been translated to German and published in East Berlin. That's how it ended up on my reading list. Here is the entire passage that fascinated me:
… ours is an ethical religion, a way of life.”
“Aren’t they all?”
The rabbi pursed his lips. “Why, no. Christianity, for example, is a mystical religion.”
“You mean that Christians are not ethical?”
The rabbi made a gesture of impatience. “Of course they are. But it is a secondary thing with them. What is enjoined on them primarily is faith in the Man-God Jesus. And their ethics are derived from the principle that if they believe in Jesus as the Son of God and their Saviour, then they will try to emulate him and hence will behave ethically. There is also the belief, common among the evangelical sects, that if you truly believe, ‘if you let Jesus come into your life’ is the usual formula, ethical behavior will come automatically. And sometimes it works.” He cocked his head to one side and considered. Then he nodded vigorously. “Sure. If you have your thoughts on heaven, you are less likely to covet the things of this world. Your foot may slip occasionally, of course, but not as much as it would if that were all you had to think about. On the other hand, you might get to thinking that any fancy that flits through your mind is the word of God.
“With us, however, faith in the Christian sense is almost meaningless, since God is by definition unknowable. What does it mean to say I believe in what I don’t know and can’t know? Theoretically, Christianity has the same view of God, which is why His Son was born on earth and lived as a man. Because being a man, He could be known. But we don’t share this belief. Our religion is a code of ethical behavior. The code of Moses, the Torah, is a set of rules and laws governing behavior. The prophets preached ethical behavior. And the rabbis whose discussion and debates form the Talmud were concerned with spelling out in meticulous detail just how the general rules of behavior were to be implemented. I might mention in passing, that’s why we have done so little proselytizing over the years. Because we have nothing to sell; no secrets, no magic formula, no ceremonial initiation that will open the gates of heaven. When a Christian comes to me for conversion, as they do now and again, that’s what I tell them, because, of course, we have nothing to offer except our ethics and our way of life. And if he says that’s what he’s interested in, that he’d like to share it, I tell him to go ahead, there’s nothing to prevent him, that with us the ethical Gentile stands as high before God as does the High Priest of Israel.”
What I particularly enjoyed about the novel was a look at life in Jewish communities on the East Coast in the 1970s. Most of the characters were second-generation immigrants: professionals of different sorts, approaching retirement and with adult children, whose parents had came from the "old country." These communities produced many young Jewish radicals of the 1970s. I'm not sure I need another 11 books about Rabbi Small, but this was an entertaining read.
February 13, 2021
A mystery novel or any writing for that matter, that presents such sparkling arguments in favour of rationality and spiritualism vis-a-vis religious ritualism using a religious figurehead - a Rabbi, as key protagonist and the voice of reason, is certain as daylight to have my undivided attention.
The language is simple. Yet, the insights into human motivations is rooted in complexities. Religion is often deliberately used to serve as a front to further personal and material wants and needs, and as the plot intensified, I found myself rooting for the one who was deliberately outnumbered but refused to be outwitted.
Some of the characters are noble and instill faith in human goodness. And then there are a few of the infamous and familiar tribe who subtly use charades of convenience twisting every rule in the book and skirt being confronted for their less than flattering motives.
I am thrilled to discover this is not just a standalone title and that there is a series by the same author waiting to be explored.
#mystery #therabbi #harrykemelman #psychologicalthriller #wednesdaytherabbigotwet
The language is simple. Yet, the insights into human motivations is rooted in complexities. Religion is often deliberately used to serve as a front to further personal and material wants and needs, and as the plot intensified, I found myself rooting for the one who was deliberately outnumbered but refused to be outwitted.
Some of the characters are noble and instill faith in human goodness. And then there are a few of the infamous and familiar tribe who subtly use charades of convenience twisting every rule in the book and skirt being confronted for their less than flattering motives.
I am thrilled to discover this is not just a standalone title and that there is a series by the same author waiting to be explored.
#mystery #therabbi #harrykemelman #psychologicalthriller #wednesdaytherabbigotwet
October 24, 2021
These always start slow and I think about setting them down, because whodunnit is pretty obvious to my cynical mind... but then around the midpoint there's a small-scale (but very important in a principles sort of way) temple community conflict, the rabbi starts talking Talmud and comparative religion, and I zoom through to the end.
October 2, 2025
Another book, another murder and a new way the congregation tries to screw the rabbi. Fast and enjoyable.
December 6, 2020
I always learn from the wise rabbi in this series, in addition to being entertained. And George Guidall is the perfect narrator for the audiobooks.
March 23, 2019
The death of an irascible cantankerous and contentious old man was a crime of opportunity that a number of plausible suspects could have been guilty of or it could have been a prank to let him suffer in retaliation to Kestler's stubbornness to see the culprit's point of view. It could have been the perfect crime if not for the Rabbi and the police alerted to the substitution of the medications. Another good one from this author with the added insight on Jewish traditions and law.
April 5, 2018
So what was it like to be a member of a conservative Jewish temple back in the mid ‘70s? Obviously, I have no idea based on personal experience, but these always-excellent books about Rabbi David Small at least point me in some good broad-brush directions.
If you read these, you almost certainly want Rabbi Small as your neighbor and friend even if you aren’t part of his group. He would doubtless engage you in thoughtful often philosophical conversation that would leave you better off than you were before you made his acquaintance.
Jacob Kestler is dead! Indeed, the grumpy old man with lots of enemies in his small New England town is unexpectedly dead! Granted, he had a urinary infection, and he was allergic to penicillin, but the infection wasn’t life threatening. Nonetheless, he is most emphatically dead, and it looks like someone killed him.
The governing board of Rabbi Small’s temple has been bequeathed a block of land in the community’s retail district. Indeed, one of Small’s temple members, a real estate guy, wants to buy the block. The temple governors will use the money to purchase land in nearby Vermont for a retreat for temple members and their families. Rabbi Small opposes the land sale. A retreat smacks of Christianity, Small argues. Jews do not retreat from life; they participate in it. Furthermore, one of the stores in that block of land wants its lease renewed—a process that was nearly completed when the original owner died. But now the board of governors wants to break that lease and close the pharmacy. That’s the same pharmacy whose staff filled old Jacob Kestler’s prescription, and it was a wrong pill that killed the old man.
Was there a mix-up at the pharmacy? Did a family member inadvertently or deliberately overdose the old man? Rabbi Small ultimately figures out what happened, and while you may figure it out early, you’ll still enjoy the book.
If you read these, you almost certainly want Rabbi Small as your neighbor and friend even if you aren’t part of his group. He would doubtless engage you in thoughtful often philosophical conversation that would leave you better off than you were before you made his acquaintance.
Jacob Kestler is dead! Indeed, the grumpy old man with lots of enemies in his small New England town is unexpectedly dead! Granted, he had a urinary infection, and he was allergic to penicillin, but the infection wasn’t life threatening. Nonetheless, he is most emphatically dead, and it looks like someone killed him.
The governing board of Rabbi Small’s temple has been bequeathed a block of land in the community’s retail district. Indeed, one of Small’s temple members, a real estate guy, wants to buy the block. The temple governors will use the money to purchase land in nearby Vermont for a retreat for temple members and their families. Rabbi Small opposes the land sale. A retreat smacks of Christianity, Small argues. Jews do not retreat from life; they participate in it. Furthermore, one of the stores in that block of land wants its lease renewed—a process that was nearly completed when the original owner died. But now the board of governors wants to break that lease and close the pharmacy. That’s the same pharmacy whose staff filled old Jacob Kestler’s prescription, and it was a wrong pill that killed the old man.
Was there a mix-up at the pharmacy? Did a family member inadvertently or deliberately overdose the old man? Rabbi Small ultimately figures out what happened, and while you may figure it out early, you’ll still enjoy the book.
January 2, 2009
Wednesday the Rabbi Got Wet is an old mystery that I recently found in paperback. Having majored in Old Testament Studies in the seminary, I always find the Jewish slant on religion and theology to be fascinating, if not enlightening. Rabbi David Small is probably not the rabbi I would choose if I were Jewish. I’m much more inclined toward the mysticism of a Rabbi Lawrence Kushner than the Conservative Judaism of Harry Kemelman’s protagonist.
Nonetheless, Wednesday the Rabbi Got Wet is a solid mystery. Replete with red herrings (in the form of motivated suspects), I was constantly having to reconsider possible solutions (though my preferred villain was indeed the murderer). Indeed, this mystery gave Kemelman a chance to wax eloquently with regard to family, faith, and greed. Although I didn’t like the anti-mystical bent to this mystery because of my personal proclivity toward such, I do appreciate the effort to inject a healthy dose of ethics and personal responsibility into the otherwise rather simple plot.
Nonetheless, Wednesday the Rabbi Got Wet is a solid mystery. Replete with red herrings (in the form of motivated suspects), I was constantly having to reconsider possible solutions (though my preferred villain was indeed the murderer). Indeed, this mystery gave Kemelman a chance to wax eloquently with regard to family, faith, and greed. Although I didn’t like the anti-mystical bent to this mystery because of my personal proclivity toward such, I do appreciate the effort to inject a healthy dose of ethics and personal responsibility into the otherwise rather simple plot.
February 18, 2019
We are back to the threat of the book here - there is a conflict between the Rabbi and his congregation. I guess one thing that made this interesting is how different characters express different aspects of the challenge so we see a more complete exploration.
As an over-arching comment, I find some of the similarities between these books to be challenging. However, I appreciate the writing quite a bit. I think there is a gentle description of the community and the people - sort of a more complete background than you sometimes get. I also like the exploration of how Judaism guides the thought processes.
As an over-arching comment, I find some of the similarities between these books to be challenging. However, I appreciate the writing quite a bit. I think there is a gentle description of the community and the people - sort of a more complete background than you sometimes get. I also like the exploration of how Judaism guides the thought processes.
May 8, 2008
I remember enjoying the Rabbi Small mysteries some years ago. I think I have read them all. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this one when I would revisit the series. However I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys quirky characters and intriguing puzzles.
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