When Did Madonna Become a Rabbi?

This article originally appeared on Beliefnet in October 2003. Madonna's new album has infuriated some rabbis in Israel over the inclusion of a kabbalah-themed song.

So Madonna has written a series of children's books, beginning with "The English Roses," which is based on the Kabbalah and features as its lead character a girl named Binah. Should the Jewish community be proud?

After all, here we are, a little backwater religion, with one of the world's most famous faces highlighting our ancient mystical tradition. Should we not embrace her as our savior and princess, the woman who renounced Catholicism in favor of Judaism? The woman who helped make Judaism sexy?

No. And here's why. The fact that Judaism is becoming increasingly dependent on depraved pop cultural icons to make it appeal to the masses is a sign of desperation rather than achievement, failure rather than success.

Religions have staked claims to authenticity for millennia, and it is a fool's game to debate the legitimacy of one over another. But the overriding characteristic that has distinguished Judaism from every other world faith and made us Jews justly proud is its demands for moral excellence. Historically it cries out that the only true test of religious piety is human decency. The discerning characteristic of an authentic faith as opposed to a counterfeit one is moral virtue.

The founder of our faith, Abraham, does not perform a single supernatural feat in the whole of Genesis. Rather, he is portrayed as a simple herdsman who even after victory over kings refuses to take any kind of loot or booty.

In short, he is a not a god-man, but a good man, not a saint with celestial power but a human being of outstanding moral courage.

Likewise, the Bible only once gives a description of Moses' personal character. He is described not as the most commanding, nor even the wisest, but rather as the "humblest man who walked the earth."

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