I am not one who watches or enjoys rock videos. However, when several of my yeshiva high school students informed me about what they had seen on the Internet, I felt obligated to investigate. I do not believe that yeshiva students should be watching rock videos, even more so I do not believe that rock stars should be dabbling with things that they truly do not understand. I discovered that Madonna's famous dabbling with sacred Jewish mysticism has taken an interesting turn. In her latest music video for the theme song of a new James Bond movie, the "material girl" of old is transforming herself into a "Kabbalah girl."
Aside from the traditional Madonna blend of music and sensuality, in this video we see Madonna has a Holy Name of G-d tattooed onto her right shoulder. Tattooing, mind you,is a practice forbidden under Torah Law, all the more so abhorred by the Kabbalah. Granted the tattoo may not be real or only temporary but nonetheless, any expression of performing a forbidden act is itself forbidden and inexcusable. Unfortunately, Madonna's abuse of Kabbalah and traditional Torah Judaism does not stop here.
Later in the video we see Madonna winding leather straps around her left arm in the exact same format and style as holy tefillin are worn by religious Jewish men. Tefillin consist of a small leather box containing scared parchments. These are then strapped to one's left biceps, and the strap is wound down the left arm and around the hand. Granted Madonna did not go so far as to defame the tefillin boxes themselves. Yet, it is quite clear that the wrapping of the straps around her arm is done in orthodox Torah style. This act of hers is pure sacrilege. Granted one can state that Rashi, one of the greatest Jewish medieval scholars allowed his daughters to strap on tefillin. This, however, was never accepted in Torah Law as a legitimate practice. Torah Law has never accepted the claim made about Rashi's daughters over centuries of clear and concrete legal precedent.
For a woman to wear tefillin or even to make believe that she is doing so is even more of a serious sin when viewed in light of the Kabbalah. Rabbi Yitzhak Luria, the famous Ari'zal of 16th century Tzfat and clearly the greatest of all Kabbalists is quoted in numerous references as having taught that a woman's spiritual path precludes her from wearing tefillin. Madonna had better go back to her Kabbalah studies and see what the real Kabbalah teaches before she continues making provocative acts which violate the very essence of Kabbalah and Torah.
In her video's finale' Madonna's "Kabbalah" can be seen for its true nature with its disregard and blatant effrontery to traditional and true Kabbalah. In a scene where she is in an electric chair being put to death, Madonna (wrapped in tefillin straps) makes a miraculous escape. Her jailers come in to see the empty chair and all of a sudden, the Holy Name of G-d (the one tattooed on her arm) appears in the chair, where Madonnasat. I assume that the impression the video is trying to make is that the Holy Name saved her from her fate.
I recognized this holy Name. More so, I recognized the specific Hebrew script that was used. I know where Madonna received her "Kabbalah" information. The script used for the Hebrew in the video comes from the posters and charts published by a group known as the "Kabbalah Center" under the directorship of a man called the "Kabbalist Rav Berg." I have spoken with many leading and well-respected Rabbis and Kabbalists and none of those with whom I have spoken respect this "Rav" and have even less respect for (what in their opinion) is his gross misrepresentation of true Kabbalistic teachings. Many in the traditional Jewish community condemn this group and even label it a cult.
Now, here is where our major problem lies. I personally do not know Madonna and therefore, I do not wish to cast aspersions on her that she intentionally and willingly wishes to act with sacrilege against the holy Torah and the sacred Kabbalah. That would be anti-Semitic and I do not believe that Madonna is an anti-Semite. I cannot tell you why Madonna presented herself as having a tattoo of a holy Name on her shoulder, wrapped herself with mock tefillin straps, and made use a Holy Name in a most unholy fashion (in a rock music video).
Did her "Kabbalah" teachers know that she was going to do this? Did they give her their consent and blessings to do such? If not then they are the ones who should speak upand make a public statement disavowing their connection to these sacrilegious acts. Indeed, if they did not teach her that these things were acceptable, then they should be writing an article such as this to disavow her and to clear themselves of blame. I am waiting to see if such an article ever gets written.
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