From Matisyahu Has No Place To Be
Technorati Tags: Matisyahu, Music, Chabad, Comments
2 years ago
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
4 comments:
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It is very easy to pass judgement on those with a public image. One should be especially careful not to add to a circle of shame with rumors. Many performers have hidden their personal lives from the public eye for just this reason. Perhaps Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe would not have met their untimely end had it not been for the carniverous press. What does Matis' wife have to do with his music? Is this a music critic or a character inventory?
Matis is a powerful performer and inspirational song writer. Kudos to him for standing up in a secular crowd weaaring a Black hat and singing from the depths of his heart. I have seen him perform live, and he truly does open his lips and his mouth to declare his praise to the Lord.
At a time when anti-semetism is raising its perverbial split tongue, Matis is vigilent spreading the wellsprings Torah and Chassidis through his lyrics. It doesn't matter what he is labeled or what form of Judaism he identifies himself with. That is all his personal business.
Matis connects to God as a believing Jew in the public arena unlike any other Jewish performer has in the past. His crossover into mainstream music is very unique. Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler...all openly Jewish never sang Torah.
The music arena has connected Eminem's lyrics to the Columbine Murders, Marilyn Manson to Satanism, thank G-d for Matis, a breath of fresh air. There is a huge non-affiliated youth sector that is screaming out for a healthy form of spirituality to connect to. Music is one of the most powerful mediums of communication we have filtering into our lives on an hourly basis. Hurray Matis!!...you have charted new waters, with the living water of Torah. Congrtualations for a job well done. In my opinion, you are a true soldier of light in the army of Hashem. -
1/4/07, 11:12 PM
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I am not passing judgment on Matisyahu. In fact, a careful analysis of my post will show that I have criticized him (There was one ill thought out line which has since been removed),
He is, however, a public figure and his comments must then be properly understood . . . To claim that his in not a chossid is rather odd for a person who sells himself as "hassidic Reggae", lives in Crown Heights etc. etc.
Where my criticism does exist is on those who make him into something larger then life. He is good, but not necessarily for us. -
1/5/07, 10:51 AM
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Anon wrote: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler...all openly Jewish never sang Torah.
You guys seem to have a very limited sense of history. Have you ever heard of the first Lubavitch shliach, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach??? I doubt if Matis could do what he's doing now without Reb Shlomo having paved the way! -
1/7/07, 8:02 AM
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I agree that Matis would not get anywhere as far as he did w/o Shlomo. However Shlomo took his own path in the end . . . the main thrust of my post was if Matis will do so as well . . .
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1/7/07, 3:22 PM
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Your ending point is an obvious one. No one with access to any form of real Chassidus - should, nor can, use Matis or similar music as a source of learning and inspiration. He is a musician, albeit a powerful and effective one, but ultimately, he is a musician, and as you said, not a Quasi-Rebbe. If anything, I believe he tries to create the image of being a human who struggles and fights for identity as we all do.
Ultimately, he IS trying to promote a message to the masses - and has been successful beyond anyone's wildest expectations. Give him the credit.
Think of him for a moment, either in concert or his music-- and for a moment, try to give him a label you think would suit his style of Judaism. Personally, seeing a black hat in concert, with the lyrics of Jerusalem, Moshiach, Altar from the Ground -- I can think of nothing aside from a uniquely Chabad approach. Regarding his statements, I commend him for not shutting himself off in the "Chabad" box, both in his personal and professional life. As you may be aware, Chabad - as a movement and community - is in major crisis, and it's important for people to find their own ground, however unsettling this reality may be. He does not separate himself from Chabad as many have accused.. He just acknowledges his personal struggle and search for a root identity. Essentially, as it is with many of us, we KNOW our roots are in Chabad. With the state of affairs though, I feel it becomes difficult to bond with the movement in it's entirety [unless you're a 770 nut] and maintain some sense on unbiased normalcy. Not in any way saying all Chabad people are out-of-sync freaks -- but there's still some sense of discrepency many people struggle with.
Allow Matis his humanness. He is doing great things both within Chabad, and ultimately he is accomplishing the goal in an extroardinary way by spreading Chassidus to the masses.
"If anything, I believe he tries to create the image of being a human who struggles and fights for identity as we all do.
Ultimately, he IS trying to promote a message to the masses - and has been successful beyond anyone's wildest expectations. Give him the credit."
Good point, and for what good he does (which is a lot -besides the fact that he is a frummer yid etc.) he does deserve credit . . .
But why say what your not -it's one thing not to scream Chabad, even not to mention it.
But to say, "I'm not Chassidic."
I am aware of our problems, they are real, but every group has them.
I stay a Lubavitcher because I know the truth is in it; even if those who sell it are far from perfection.
I think to some degree we in fact come to a similar conclusion.
You say:
"He just acknowledges his personal struggle and search for a root identity."
I agree as well, he boxed himself in right away -as soon as he became frum he began to sell himself and grow. Now that he is beginning to feel out who he really is and the ramifications there in -he must 'undo' part of his image.