The paper deals with the narrative pattern of the ‘involuntary werewolf’ which was developed in the High Middle Ages and used once again in the Early Modern Period by a Jewish redactor. All texts based on this pattern share two common subjects: Firstly, they raise the question which kind of relationship a man should prefer – a heterosocial relationship with a woman or a homosocial relationship with other men. Secondly, they speak about the ways a man is supposed to behave towards his ruler, and vice versa. Marie de France’s medieval lay Bisclavret, for example, argues in favor of a social order which relies on friendship between men instead of love between men and women. Besides, it strives to establish the concept of a courtly regime in which a knight serves his liege lord with unswerving loyalty. 400 years later, a Yiddish werewolf tale contained in the ‚Mayse-Bukh‘ (a famous collection of stories) favors homosocial bonds as well. In contrast to the medieval courtly tales, however, the Yiddish story presents its audience with an ideal homosocial community of a very different kind, namely the one between a rabbi and his students. Moreover, the tale makes no efforts whatsoever to play down the Jewish werewolf’s aggressive potential – on the contrary, it depicts the Jewish protagonist as somebody who could easily dominate his king if only he wished to do so. From such a comparative perspective, the tale can be read as a story about confidence and self-empowerment in the face of a political situation in which a religious minority must constantly struggle to maintain its agency.