Madonna News

Sep 10

Stories from a kabbala mama

Madonna's latest children's book, Yakov and the Seven Thieves, does not purport to be Jewish. Sure, it has the earmarks of a Jewish children's tale "inspired by the Baal Shem Tov," and takes place in 18th-century Ukraine, with the main character going by the name Yakov.
But this tale is universal in nature, and its illustrations (which resemble a Christmas wonderland more than a stark Ukrainian shtetl) are indicative enough of this fact. The Baal Shem Tov was probably unfamiliar with the Ukraine as rendered by illustrator Gennady Spirin, who was born on Christmas in a small city near Moscow, as his bio explains.
The opening pages most starkly depict the schizophrenic nature of the book: on one side a yoga-esque, Kabbala-inspired illustration, on the other an elaborate cover page which evokes the traditional Christmas spirit. Regardless of the blurry line between these two traditions, Madonna has produced a beautifully illustrated book with a message of morality and potential for redemption that any parent would be comfortable espousing.
In the story, a cobbler named Yakov prays that his son Mikhail will recover from a mysterious illness. His wife Olga urges him to seek the advice of a wise old man who people say "speaks to angels... [and] can perform miracles." When Yakov arrives, the elderly man he meets looks not unlike famous renderings of Moses. The sage scratches his beard and, after one failed attempt, recruits his grandson to gather all the thieves of the village to pray for the sick child. They comply, on their knees in pew-like prayer, and Mikhail miraculously recovers.
The moral of the story?
"Thieves represent the things in us that are bad or wrong or selfish... when we turn away from our naughty behavior and embrace good deeds... we are turning the key and unlocking the gates of heaven."
But have the thieves been genuinely altered by this brush with benevolence? One must read the book to find out.
If there is a kabbalistic message in this tale, it is of the absurdly watered down variety that has become so trendy among American celebrities. Whatever the kabbalistic infusion, and whatever the author's scandalous reputation, however, Yakov and the Seven Thieves is a quality children's book that will transport both parent and child to another place and time and, in few short pages, delight.
For Israeli consumers, Kinneret is publishing an Israeli edition of this title in Hebrew, along with all of Madonna's books.
source : jpost.com

Categories : General News

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