Nothing phony about Madonna's spiritual journey
Leave Madonna alone.
You didn't like her when she was emphasizing materialism.
You called her a hedonist.
You didn't like her when she was flaunting her sexuality.
You called her a slut.
You didn't like it when she became a disciplined practitioner of yoga.
You called her a poseur.
And now that she's found what, to me at least, appears to be a serious spiritual
discipline that seems to have transformed her into a more serious, modest and
generous mother, wife and entrepreneur, you call her an opportunist.
You say she's faking it.
Will Madonna forever be damned by the sins of her past, incapable of genuine
transformation and beyond redemption?
It's as if her interest in Kabbalah, the esoteric Jewish mystical tradition that
teaches, among many things, that humans can overcome death and illness by the
way they behave and think, somehow detracts from or sullies the tradition
itself. As if a single person could diminish such ancient, enduring wisdom.
Even if Madonna's approach to Kabbalah is more neo-mystical than traditional,
how is that a bad thing for anyone besides, perhaps, herself? And who, exactly,
is she hurting by wearing a piece of red string around her wrist and spending
time studying spiritual texts?
Grew up Roman Catholic
This week, Madonna and her family have traveled to Israel during the Jewish High
Holy Days to attend the Los Angeles-based Kabbalah Center's International
Congress with 2,000 other Kabbalah enthusiasts. She arrived Wednesday, on the
eve of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year.
It's a visit that has been almost universally mocked by the media and has
managed to unite some of Israel's Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders in their
condemnation of the pop star's presence in their troubled land. Because they
don't have enough to worry about already.
The Kabbalah is considered an extremely serious -- some even say dangerous --
discipline. Historically, women were forbidden to study it, and men had to be at
least 40 years old and married with children to begin their Kabbalistic
practice. There are even tales of students who went insane studying its main
text, the Zohar, which first appeared written in Aramaic in 14th-century Spain.
Reportedly, Madonna and others who traveled to Israel for the Kabbalah Center's
congress plan to visit Jerusalem's Western Wall; the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar
Yochai who is believed to be the author of the Zohar; and the tomb of the
Matriarch Rachel. Before it is cut into individual pieces, the red string she
and other Kabbalah practitioners wear around their wrists is wound around
Rachel's tomb. The red bracelet is supposed to ward off stink eye, or envious
stares.
Most traditional Kabbalists in Israel and elsewhere insist that Kabbalah is not
supposed to be taught to non-Jews. So some would say Madonna really has no
business studying Kabbalah in the first place.
She was reared Roman Catholic. I haven't heard her give her spirituality a
particular religious label lately, so I don't know if she still considers
herself a Christian. But I haven't heard her say she's converted to Judaism,
either.
Perhaps it would have been more acceptable if she had embraced Christian
mysticism, or traditional Catholicism, instead of Kabbalah. But somehow I think
she would be condemned no matter what path she chose.
Such is the curse of celebrity.
Why Esther?
Madonna has been criticized for allegedly making herself out to be an ersatz
poster child for Kabbalah. But I have not read or heard her say that she is any
kind of Kabbalah expert. Instead, she presents herself as an enthusiastic
student who is, at worst, evangelical about sharing lessons that have been
helpful to her with others.
"My Kabbalah teacher, one of them, used to say to me, 'When in doubt, act like
God.' And then you think, well, what does that mean? You know, it's like --
describe God. God would be compassionate. Unconditional. All-giving. All-loving.
So, when in doubt, behave that way. You'll never go wrong," Madonna told Cynthia
McFadden of ABC News in a television interview that aired in June.
"I'm getting better. I mean, I'm a very judgmental person. I mean, I always have
been. And, you know, I see people, I put labels on them, I put them in boxes.
They behave badly and I immediately want to say they're a jerk. But in Kabbalah,
you learn that, you know, you never know, you never know about people," the
46-year-old singer said.
What, exactly, is controversial or scandalous about a statement like that? She
sounds to me like someone who is trying to clean up her act, an example that all
of us would benefit from following, whether we buy into Kabbalah -- her version
or someone else's -- as a spiritual path or not.
As for the oft-reported bit about her changing her name to Esther, she explains
it this way: "Well, let's say -- I don't go by the name of Esther. But, yes,
that is my Hebrew name. Yep."
I can understand this. When I studied French in college, my French name was
Chantal. Cathleen sounded funny when pronounced in French. I didn't change my
name, I just used a different name that made more sense while I was studying.
Madonna told McFadden that she chose the name Esther herself, and explained why.
"I was named after my mother. My mother died when she was very young, of
cancer," the singer said. "In the metaphysical world, I wanted to attach myself
to another name. So -- and this is in no way a negation of who my mother is. So,
I read about all the women in the Old Testament. And I loved the story of Queen
Esther. She saved the Jews from annihilation."
If Madonna is guilty of anything, it may be Jewish envy. And I can understand
that, being a fan of Judaism myself.
Out to make the world better
I'm not Jewish, but as I sat through my first Rosh Hashana service Wednesday
night, I was transported and inspired by the spiritual beauty unfolding before
me in the liturgy and Scripture.
I don't know from Hebrew, but as the congregation lifted their voices to sing
Hash-kiveynu Adonia, Eloheynu l'shalom . . . the words of an evening prayer, I
found myself attempting to join them. There's something implicitly edifying
about singing praises to God, of being part of a tradition -- even for a moment,
even if it's not your own -- with such estimable, ancient roots.
Madonna seems to be attracted to the same thing.
After years of what she admits was a self-centered existence, she says she wants
to learn, to make herself more godly and the world around her a little bit
better.
Would that we were all guilty of that.
