You may have noticed the many celebrities who have been wearing a red thread around their left wrist, despite the fact that there is no basis for this use in either Kabbalah, Torah, or Jewish law.
The only mention of this use is in an early Talmudic text called Tosefta, where it is described as being used to ward off the evil eye, and some rabbis interpret it as a “segulah”, a protective act that is sometimes permitted. However, Tosefta herself considers it similar to idolatry and a worthless superstitious practice, and actively prohibits it.
Others, however, are more understanding. The red thread is believed to represent Rachael, Isaac’s wife. The name Rachael comes from the Hebrew word, “rachil”, which means lamb or sheep. As a sheep stops while being sheared (which represents humility), so must we humble ourselves before God like a lamb before its master. Furthermore, in the same way that Rachael’s prayers for a child were answered, so will our prayers be answered when we present ourselves before God in the proper spirit and humility.
The controversy surrounding the use of this red thread has not prevented Madonna and a large number of practicing celebrities from using it, or from practicing a form of Kabbalah that is far from the same Judaism that marks its essence. The rabbis felt that the study of Kabbalah separated from the understanding and practice of Halacha, the Jewish law, could upset the mind and lead to madness.
The Talmud tells the story of four rabbis who met regularly to participate in mystical studies: Azzai, Ben Zoma, Elisha ben Abujah, and Akiva. Azzai “looked and went crazy [and] Ben Zoma died. “Elisha ben Abuyah became a heretic and left Judaism, and only Akiva” entered in peace and left in peace. “From this, the rabbis concluded that only married men over 40 years of age with a good foundation in Torah and Talmud they should study Kabbalah.
Modern followers of Kabbalah focus on the controversial Kabbalah Center, established in 1965 in the United States, and now located in Los Angeles. Complaints about this institution center on the sale of trinkets for extraordinary sums and a notable secret about its fundraising and spending, and its avoidance of the “stigma” of Judaism, while at the same time following orthodox customs such as separation from men. and women on Friday and Saturday services, wearing sheitels (wigs), placing mezuzot (cylindrical objects containing a portion of Deuteronomy) on doors, and much more.
As we live to find authenticity in our lives and behavior, and celebrities may need this more than most, the red thread symbolizes the “thread of grace” that greets us each morning when we wake up, and God renews our lives and that of the world once more.