So Close . . . and Yet, So Far

This morning I had another "Maharal BAD!!!" experience. I was on the JPS Tanach w/Rashi site, which is hosted by www.chabad.org, when I saw a link to something called "Kabbala Toons." My first thought was "Oh no, now they're polluting little kids with pseudo-kabbala? What is this world coming to!" I decided to click on it to see what it was all about. 

I was taken to a page with a huge selection of cartoons to view, but the first one that caught my eye was a cartoon entitled "Matzah Therapy." I also happened to see that the creator of the series is one of the militant anti-Rambam guys from the Lookjed debate I clicked on the video, expecting to see some idolatrous, symbolic, mystical, magical mumbo jumbo about matzah . . . but what I saw took me completely by surprise. Before I provide the link for the video, I should mention that they make reference to a little (mechanical?) creature called a "Feivel." As far as I can tell, "Feival" is a metaphor for the animal-psyche. 

That being said, watch this short video: "Matzah Therapy." 

Amazing, right? Not only is there no mention of anything magical or mystical, but the video actually espouses good ideas! Afterwards, I read the author's comments on the main page, and he elaborates further. Unfortunately, there are mystical kabbala references here, so I'll just censor them for the sake of purity. Also, the emphases in bold are my own: 

Many of you are wondering exactly how Matzah Therapy works. Although the therapeutic value of MT has been well known for thousands of years, it is only due to recent research in our lab here in Unspecified Location, Planet Earth, that a plausible explanation can be described in biochemical terms.

The matzahs used in MT are produced from powdered triticum and dihydrogen monoxide. Of course, these are the essential ingredients in most breads. There are, however, several key factors in the baking process that distinguish MT from other breads. To understand the impact of these factors, we need to understand the metabolic processes that are peculiar to Feivels.

Unlike other mechanical pets, Feivels do not live by battery packs alone. Feivels are in constant need of mental input originating from the mind of their owner. This input not only directs the emotional state of your Feivel, but also serves to replenish electrical circuits and ensure smooth function of all parts.

Another peculiarity of Feivels is that they are programmed to be a lot of fun and very challenging. To accomplish this, they require an EF (ego function) . . . What is important to understand is that EF, although a key element in any Feivel profile, can make an awful lot of noise. When that noise level passes over a critical threshold--this is known as "Hyper-Ego Functioning"--it effectively drowns out any signals from outside. Feivel's circuits begin auto-reiterating in recursive loops, evidenced by an expanding head, heavy eyelids and all round obnoxiousness. A Feivel suffering HyperEF displays intolerance of any other conscious being occupying a similar space or performing similar functions. Eventually, productive activity grinds to a halt, to be replaced only by demands for service and attention, often accompanied by terse insults and bad jokes.

At this point, the only way to get a mind-signal into a Feivel is by dropping one straight into its I/O port (aka mouth). That's the MT matzah. The mind-signal is embedded into an MT matzah by processing all the materials manually and mindfully. . . . 

Consuming MT matzahs on the first night of Passover is a guaranteed method to embed their ego-balancing signal in your Feivel for an entire year. Just make sure you use quality matzahs, supervised throughout their process and hand-baked for the sake of the matzah mitzvah. Follow the instructions from your Feivel manufacturer. . . . 

So there you have it: cosmic zoom, daled amos, egotistical animal psyche and its relationship to mind, the need for asiyas ha'mitzvos in a state of mindfulness - how great it would have been to watch cartoons like this throughout childhood! 

Yet, the existence of this video strikes me as tragic. If you poke around on the "Kabbala Toons" site a little bit more, you'll soon find that the bad outweighs the good by far. The site is full of kefirah, avodah zarah, and many other forms of sheker - and (needless to say) the same is true for the host-site, www.chabad.org. Alas, as good as this video may be, I could never recommend the website to someone who is new to Torah, since they would likely be attracted to the "kabbalistic" frills. 

Once again, we see the virtue of ha'lomeid mi'kol adam and the necessity of lo sasuru acharei levavechem.