Can a golem become human?

Question

If a righteous sage creates a golem, like Rava did in Tractate Sanhedrin, can it become human, and since it is created by a Jew, can it become Jewish?

Secondly, I don't know if they could or could not, but supposing they could, if a rasha like Pharaoh or his magicians were able to create a golem, and something awoke it to this desire, could it do teshuva and convert?

I think Ohr Hachaim is one of the sources that teaches that the kelipot only lets out the most holiest of sparks that it captured when it thinks it will benefit the kelipot and create more evil, so seemingly a scenario like this would be a perfect opportunity to let out a very holy captured spark, encasing it in many kelipahs and trapping it in a golem body made by a rasha. But could that holy spark do teshuvah and become a Jew, provided the golem body made for it was enough like a human body to qualify? I am more interested in the soul aspect than the body aspect so if necessary we can suppose that they were able to make a golem body with the necessary traits or ingredients to allow for the soul aspect of the question to not be ruled out a priori because of the golem's body not qualifying. That would be good to know but it's not my main interest here. Plus maybe a miracle could transform even a fully clay golem body into something that works as a body for a real human soul.

This also involves a broader question of whether Hashem could allow a human soul into something made by other humans.

Answer 1

The Chacham Tzvi wrote a famous responsa (Shu't Chacham Tzvi, 93, cited in Mishneh Berurah 55:4) regarding the halachic status of a golem (specifically referencing a golem created by his grandfather, R' Eliyahu Baal Shem).

He poses a fascinating deliberation whether a golem can be used to complete a minyan. Although it clear that a minyan can only be comprised of 10 Jewish men, he questions whether based on the teaching 'כל המגדל יתום בתוך ביתו מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו ילדו' (Sanhedrin 19) and מעשה ידיהם של הצדיקים הן הן תולדותיהם. [His conclusion is that a golem cannot be part of a minyan.]

It would appear that the Chacham Tzvi considered a golem to have parallel status as a human.

The Chacham Tzvi's son, R Yackov Emden cites his father's responsa (Sheilas Yaavetz, V2 #82), yet adds that there is no way a golem can be considered more than a חרש שוטה וקטן - people with limited intellectual capacity.

More relevantly to this question, he cites the sefer Chesed L'avraham that a golem, although humanoid in shape, is considered an animal (which is why killing a golem is not considered murder).

R' Yackov Emden's brother, R' Meshulam Zalman Ashkenazi (Divrei Rav Meshulam, Siman 10) adds an addendum from his father, where he cites R' Moshe Cordovero (Sefer Pardes, Sha'ar Hechalos Ch 10) that 'בבריה זו שהיא בצורת אדם אין בה לא נשמה לא רוח ולא נפש, אלא חיות בעלמא' - the golem has no soul and is devoid of any human capacity - and accordingly, concludes that of course a golem cannot have any halachic status as a human or Jew.

Answer 2

PLEAS NOTE The following answer is PURLY KABBALISTIC NOT HALACHIC AT ALL, According to Halacha the answer may very well be a no, though according to kabbala, it may be a yes.

Under certain perimeters, a clone be counted as a human, until they give it a mind of its own, then it can. (Mind transference is very possible though not practiced at great length).

Proof of this is in the book of Rabbi Arye Kaplan, If you were g-d.

He puts a very good question in the book, If humans are only a collection of their thoughts, (the soul that resides in the mind) and when a person dies their energy or soul becomes part of the matrix or Hashem, (well the part they attached to Hashem) so you can transfer that mind with its consciousness (The consciousness that is attached to Hashem) to another body then you have the same person (the mind) in another body, the body being a golem or an empty vessel until the new consciousness take control of the new body, granted that the old body isn't here with the same consciousness, then there would be two of you. You think this sounds odd, look into Sefer raziel, if you were to take another soul in you, your body becomes a host of several souls, (This is done differently though same concept).

Another concept Shomer Yisrael, a guardian of Israel, that a man, elevates their mind and body,( The body through the mind as the mind covers the whole body) and guards the soul of many people, so his Mind+Body if taken to a further extent becomes a minyan (If he has more than ten souls connected to their body) now if this were the case the rabbi would no longer be the Normal human individual you are aware of, their mind is in the astral world where they can accomplish this task, so a real example for what we have just explained is as follows. You go to a major tzadic,sage,kabbalist, (Rashash also known as the second Rashbi, his student Rabbi Meir Levi, Rabbi Peretz, Bal Hasulam, Rabbi Avraham sutton, his teacher Rabbi Arye Kaplan, Rabbi Yakove Hillel The current top Kabbalist that can actually perform open miracles, on par with Rabbi Yaakov addes of the Kotel, Rabbi Kaduri, Baba sali, his brother Baba Meir, their sons and grandsons and nephews, The Chalban, Reb Chaim, his son Rabbi Shmuel, his grandson Reb Yanky, Admor Y. Pinto, Admor D Ch. Pinto, Admor of Malta, Rabbi Yk. Pinto, Rabbi M pinto, Rabbi Krisspin, Rabbi S. Arush, Rabbi L. Brody, Rabbi Admor A. Titlebaum (Satmer), Admor Biale, Rabbi Yosef Dayan, An American rabbi and Kabbalist Ariel Bartzadok, Rabbi A. Anava, Rabbi Y. Ginsberg, Rabbi Avraham Ziti, The Lubavitcher rebbes, Rabbi Berg, Rabbi Winselberg, Rabbi Y.Zwaig and some sons, Rabbi Manis Friedman, and Rabbi Shmuel. Eliyahu Chief Kabbalist and chief rabbi of sfat, and many more That were not mentioned though are very well known to have special powers and can accomplish unimaginable feats, and yes some of these are woman as well though the ones mentioned are the main individuals that carry an extremely heavy burden, the rest almost follow instructions from these individuals as they were taught by them one way or another how to use their skills) SO,They will connect with you if they see that they are meant to connect with you, in a very high level, (note this is not with everyone, some they just give an advise they were asked and that's it, seeing the person does not need, or is not asked of these rabbis by shamayim to connect with them). Once this is done you are brought into their divine space, at times you can see things in your mind, that they once saw some time ago, and or experience things they had experienced a time ago, (it can be a current event too). This is when they pray In an abnormal fashion. So these individuals carry the strength = life of thousands of people on their mind or soul in the astral world, that they are responsible for protecting, healing, guiding... taking the roll of a shomer Yisrael. The question here rises, if they were to hold a minyan in their minds doing Sefer yetzira,(Telepathy) would it count, if you can create a space in your mind or the (Astral world) where ten people that are far apart can connect In real time and answer amen and so on, then their soul is in a place where Tefila is taking place, and if they are clearly aware of what's happening in that place, then they are obligated to respond, now if ten people are there, extremely connected body mind and soul, while there's a separation, then its like they are actually there. So if the rabbis mentioned above were to want to, lets say have a minyan on their own without having ten people actually with them, all they need to do is initiate ten people from afar and there you go. This is more complicated in action, than explained.

So if a lifeless body (Golem) were to attain this new soul or consciousness that takes over the golems body, is it still a golem?

If you were to connect a body to the astral world where they constantly receive energy and a soul that takes over the body is it a lifeless body? aka, a Clone.

No, because it has a soul and it is receiving energy or life.