May 29, 2012
Madonna Upstes Some With Her Kabbalistic Involvement
Madonna is back in Israel. She came a few days ago to spend the Shavuot holiday receiving the Torah in the Holy Land, and now she is preparing for her upcoming concert on Thursday, kicking off her world tour.
I am no big fan of Madonna. I have not even listened to her music in maybe 18 or 20 or so years, and know none of her songs from these years. Though I did know some of her songs from her, and my, younger days, and I did followed her antics as she was a cutting edge performer always doing something crazy.
Despite my not being much of a fan, I do appreciate how she supports Israel, comes here, gives Israel a big boost as a premier spot, all when plenty of other headline performers choose to ban Israel at worst and ignore Israel at best. And her antics, especially with the kabala studies, are eyebrow-raising and curious.
Madonna spent much of the first days of her trip with her family visiting sites and graves in Safed (Tzfat) and Tiberias. I don't know if she dipped in the Ari's Mikveh, but she was planning to go to the Ari's grave.
Some have been planning to protest her arrival and her kabbalistic pursuits. According to Bechadrei, Rav Gavriel Hubara of the Yemenite community in Tzfat is upset, saying that she only visits these areas as a gimmick to attract attention around herself, and not for any true reason. This upsets the local religious and haredi communities.
Rabbi Hubara also complains that she insults her own study of kabbala by going to certain rabbonim for her research. Clearly a dig into and complaint about the Kabbalah Center and Rabbi Berg.
Others complained that she turns the kivrei tzadikim into something trendy.. Knowing they can't really do anything about it to prevent her from visiting, they will make do with a simple protest.
Plenty of people busy themselves with making visiting kivrei tzadikim "trendy", so this is nothing really new, and is really beneficial, even in a backhanded way. Maybe some Jews who might be otherwise unconnected or unaffiliated will find some connection.
I am not planning on defending Madonna, as there is a certain abrasiveness I feel when I hear of her involved in the Kabbalah and visiting the graves, but I don't see it as such a big deal. When they draw 500,000 people to Meron and Kever Rashbi on Lag B'Omer including criminals, politicians and celebrities all for public appearances sake (though how are we to really know what their true intentions are), or Rabbi Nachman's grave in Uman for the holidays, or the grave of the Rebbe of Shtefnesht before elections or whatever other place or kabbalist they go to, I don't see this as much of anything unique or problematic that needs to be singled out.
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I am no big fan of Madonna. I have not even listened to her music in maybe 18 or 20 or so years, and know none of her songs from these years. Though I did know some of her songs from her, and my, younger days, and I did followed her antics as she was a cutting edge performer always doing something crazy.
Madonna spent much of the first days of her trip with her family visiting sites and graves in Safed (Tzfat) and Tiberias. I don't know if she dipped in the Ari's Mikveh, but she was planning to go to the Ari's grave.
Some have been planning to protest her arrival and her kabbalistic pursuits. According to Bechadrei, Rav Gavriel Hubara of the Yemenite community in Tzfat is upset, saying that she only visits these areas as a gimmick to attract attention around herself, and not for any true reason. This upsets the local religious and haredi communities.
Rabbi Hubara also complains that she insults her own study of kabbala by going to certain rabbonim for her research. Clearly a dig into and complaint about the Kabbalah Center and Rabbi Berg.
Others complained that she turns the kivrei tzadikim into something trendy.. Knowing they can't really do anything about it to prevent her from visiting, they will make do with a simple protest.
Plenty of people busy themselves with making visiting kivrei tzadikim "trendy", so this is nothing really new, and is really beneficial, even in a backhanded way. Maybe some Jews who might be otherwise unconnected or unaffiliated will find some connection.
I am not planning on defending Madonna, as there is a certain abrasiveness I feel when I hear of her involved in the Kabbalah and visiting the graves, but I don't see it as such a big deal. When they draw 500,000 people to Meron and Kever Rashbi on Lag B'Omer including criminals, politicians and celebrities all for public appearances sake (though how are we to really know what their true intentions are), or Rabbi Nachman's grave in Uman for the holidays, or the grave of the Rebbe of Shtefnesht before elections or whatever other place or kabbalist they go to, I don't see this as much of anything unique or problematic that needs to be singled out.
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"...criminals, politicians and celebrities..."
ReplyDeleteSay no more.
I doubt the rabbanim hakedoshim that are buried in Tsfat would really appreciate being visited by someone who, although she claims to have somewhat converted to "kabbalistic Judaism", still wears a cross as a necklace.
ReplyDeleteI'm more upset when a so called chareidi spit on a small girl and almost no chareidi condemned him than when Madonna visit kivrei tzadikim . Let her live and focus on what is important.
ReplyDeleteNot to worry about getting to the tziyon of the Rebbe of Shtefnesht before the next elections.
ReplyDeleteKupa Shel Tzedaka is sending a minyan of recently released criminals to daven at his grave before the election.
Or if you's prefer you can stop by one of our "sponsored (lol)" replicas of his grave (and their prison cells) at one of the local shuls or shopping centers.