From : USA Today:
The wake-up call came seven years ago, when Madonna began studying Kabbalah. The Jewish mystical tradition predates organized religions and offers a path to fulfillment based on spiritual laws of the universe. Some aspects parallel Judaism. Rather than studying the Talmud, an academic interpretation of Jewish law, Kabbalists embrace the Zohar, a mystical interpretation devised by decoding ancient texts rather than accepting literal accounts. Conversant in Kabbalistic teachings and origins, Madonna considers herself a student, not a guru.
Now, I’m no expert on the Kabbalah, but I know Madonna isn’t either. Most rabbis were forbidden to study the Kabbalah — I think — at least until they were 40 years old. And I know most were discouraged from ever taking it up at all. Why? Because the Kabbalah is so complicated, so esoteric, so allusive, if you don’t really know what you’re talking about you can be easily and dangerously misled. How anyone could think Madonna is anything more than a New Age poser is beyond me.