The Secret of Kabbalah
When Cameron Stout sported a 'What Would Jesus Do?' bracelet on Big Brother 4, he almost set a trend.
Today, however, the Kabbalah bracelet has overtaken WWJD as the celebrity badge of choice - and the sharp-eyed will have spotted the thin, red, seven-times-knotted thread (a mere $26 from the official website) gracing the wrists of both David Beckham and Madonna recently.
Kabbalah is a spiritual movement rooted in Jewish mysticism. And according to its trendy LA headquarters, Kabbalah 'harnesses a miraculous source of power so profound, so powerful, it could totally heal and transform your life.'
When God gave Moses the written law, he also - supposedly - passed on the Kabbalah, an oral law which unlocks the secret power of the Torah. 'The ultimate source of Kabbalah,' says the website, 'is the ancient book of the Zohar - a 23-volume treasury of wisdom that is also the greatest force of divine energy known to man.' (Add it to your shopping basket for a mere $415.)
Some scholars argue that the celebrity brand of Kabbalism has little to do with ancient Jewish tradition - and more to do with feeding the whims of personal consumer spirituality.
However, it has inspired Madonna, famously, to change her name to Esther (which in Hebrew means 'hidden'). The queen mother of pop, now an evangelist for the mystical movement, re-branded herself after the biblical heroine who concealed her Jewish identity from King Xerxes, and then saved her people from destruction.
The irony is, perhaps, that Esther is hardly a model of personal, 'mystical' spirituality. There's no mention of God in the biblical account, nor of her praying (although she fasts, and calls on the Jews of Susa to do the same). Rather, she acts with guile, pragmatism and diplomacy to save her people from the evil Haman.
Kabbalists say that the Book of Esther demonstrates how the divine will works through innuendo, sub-text and hidden code.
But I'd prefer to think that Esther is a refreshing example - nestling, as she does, among the pages of biblical heroes who seem to have a hotter line to heaven - of a brave woman who chose to do what is right, who risked everything for others and played her unique part within the greatest story ever told.
Brian Draper
Links
The Kabbalah Centre's official website (www.kabbalah.com)
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