Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry
1966 • 208 pages

Ratings6

Average rating3.7

15

Rabbi Small returns in this New York Times–bestselling novel to investigate a mysterious death on the Day of Atonement The day before Yom Kippur, the synagogue sound system is on the blink, the floral arrangements are in disarray, and a member of Rabbi David Small’s congregation—in the Massachusetts town of Barnard’s Crossing—is terribly concerned with how much a Torah weighs. The rabbi is determined not to let these mundane concerns ruin his day of prayer and contemplation. But the holiest day of the Jewish year is interrupted when a member of the congregation is found dead in his car. Details emerge that suggest the man may have killed himself, but the rabbi’s wife suspects murder. Which is it? Rabbi Small kicks into high detective gear to find out. His search for the culprit among the small town’s cast of eccentric characters leads to nail-biting suspense in this highly entertaining and engrossing mystery.

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Series

Featured Series

11 primary books

#2 in The Rabbi Small Mysteries

The Rabbi Small Mysteries is a 11-book series with 11 released primary works first released in 1964 with contributions by Harry Kemelman.

#1
Friday the Rabbi Slept Late
#2
Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry
#3
Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home
#4
Monday the Rabbi Took Off
#5
Tuesday the Rabbi Saw Red
#6
Wednesday the Rabbi Got Wet
#7
Thursday the Rabbi Walked Out
#8
Conversations With Rabbi Small
#10
One Fine Day the Rabbi Bought a Cross
#11
The Day the Rabbi Resigned
#12
That Day the Rabbi Left Town

Reviews

Popular Reviews

Reviews with the most likes.

So much theology in a mystery

The mystery is solved very cleverly but the real story is in the explanation of Jewish traditions.. I have learned a great deal.

August 12, 2019

I appreciate the thoughtful talmudic process in these mysteries, but you know how your middle school English teacher instructed you to “show, don't tell”? Kemelman missed that lesson. The reliance on overly long and detailed explanations and back stories pulls the reader out of the story.

April 11, 2020