No More "Chassidic Reggae Superstar"?
Rap-reggae musician Matisyahu's recent shave provoked a lot of discussion across the world, as fans and critics alike have given their take on what the (ultimately innocuous?) image-change meant. Some critics saw it as nothing more than a publicity stunt; others (especially from the Chabad community in Brooklyn) saw it as evidence of a continuing spiral away from an observant lifestyle. Fans were equally split on how to understand, let alone explain, the change - yet plenty maintained their support of the artist and their appreciation for his music regardless of how he looks.
According to Matisyahu's recent interview with WNYC (see below), the decision to shave (something he had not done for years) came as part of a recent major transformation in his spiritual outlook. Moving past an anxiety surrounding a colloquial dogma about the beard "representing God's mercy," Matisyahu has apparently decided that if he deserves God's mercy he'll get it, with or without the beard. Rather than being an indication of a gradual distancing from God, the change in image is a positive continuation of Matisyahu's spiritual evolution along Jewish lines.
We watched as Matisyahu left the Chabad community (which first rejected him for not conforming to arbitrary social conventions), explored the communities of Breslov, Karlin-Stolin, and other Hassidic groups, and struggled with personal challenges of identity, spirit, and purpose. We continue to cheer this true Hassid on as he tackles these challenges with integrity and sincerity, taking his relationship with God seriously in a way that inspires us all.
No more "Chassidic Reggae Superstar"? Not by our count; this reggae superstar's Hassidic bona fides just "ripped a hole in the ceiling."
WNYC Interview:
