Breakfast with Tzvi: Black Sabbath

by Rabbi Tzvi Gluckin

A lesson for life from the heavy metal world of rock n roll.

Published: November 27, 2010
Hear related audio on this topic.

Give Tzedakah! Help Aish.com create inspiring
articles, videos and blogs featuring timeless Jewish wisdom.

Visitor Comments: 27

(27) Rabbi Shlomo Gangte, February 1, 2011 12:23 PM

Lesson for life

Wonderful presentation with meaningful lesson. Keep up Rabbi, Cheer us up!!

(26) Anonymous, December 6, 2010 4:43 PM

learn from everyone

For us Aish.com readers who get excited at the mention of the name Black Sabbath, this video shall we say strikes a big chord. THANKS!

(25) , December 5, 2010 11:58 PM

wow! that sure is very motivational for a monday morning! thank you very much, rabbi! happy hanukkah!

(24) Jong, December 5, 2010 3:52 PM

So true!!

What an encouraging message it is!! Thanks a million Rabbi!

(23) Anonymous, December 3, 2010 12:21 AM

connection to Black Sabbath iin Jewish History

The Shabbos before Shavuos is called Black Sabbath or "Shabbos Shvartze" in Juedisch-Deutsch as it markes the Crusader destruction of Kehillas SH'UM in Germany's Rhine Valley. (These are the cities known as Speyer, Worms and Mainz). Av Harachamim, the Sabbath prayer for the martyrs, was written for that Shabbos and was also extended to Shabbos Chazon which is before Tisha B'Av

(22) , December 2, 2010 4:25 AM

The point is the intention

I understand not wanting to mix a "dark" band with a "light" subject matter, like a Jewish lesson. However, I think, if people look deeper, the intention of the band matches the lesson appropriately. If the rabbi were talking about how to observe shabbat, then their going around to try and take a risk has nothing to do with it, but when you understand what is said here in the right "context" it makes sense.

(21) Tzvi Gluckin, December 1, 2010 2:32 AM

The Author Responds

To comments 17 and 18: I disagree, I don't think it is wrong to learn a lesson from a heavy metal band like Black Sabbath. Everyone has something to teach us. We learn how to overcome our obstacles, blocks, and limitations by observing others. Most people do something in their lives worth emulating. And that includes rock stars. Some of my biggest heroes – and I quote them often in my classes – are people like Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, Jaco Pastorius, and Jackson Pollack. I became religious because of books by Jack Kerouac and Henry Miller. I can go on and on. Are these people angels? Not at all. Many of them did very stupid things. Many of them believe in things that I disagree with. Many of them have done things that really bother me. But who hasn’t? The fact that these people are ordinary, have faults, and make big mistakes are exactly why learning from their lives is so important. They weren't perfect but they still did amazing things – you can too. You can ask an obvious question, “Should I teach an inspirational class based on the accomplishments of Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin, or Saddam Hussein?” Not at all. Hitler and company were evil. They were at war with everything we believe. Black Sabbath wasn't at war with our beliefs. They were just self-indulgent, idiot rock stars. But that doesn't mean we can't learn from them.

(20) Steven Edwards, December 1, 2010 2:07 AM

Don't be disappointed, it isn't about the occult...

The name Black Sabbath comes from a film by Boris Karloff (from 1963). The film was showing in the theater across from the band's rehearsal studio. They realized that people paid big money for horror and that maybe it could work for them. They wrote a song called "Black Sabbath". Eventually they changed the name of the band to that as well (their original name was Earth). Their goal - on their early albums at least - was to create the rock n roll equivalent of a horror movie. It worked. They made a lot of money. And then it backfired, they couldn't shake the image. According to lead singer Ozzy Osbourne, it was one of the internal frustrations that destroyed the band. The arguments fueled his drug and alcohol abuse, and ultimately led to him getting fired.

(19) Anonymous, November 30, 2010 7:18 PM

wonderful

Wonderful video. It's truly amazing how you took a band like Black Sabbath and used it to teach a fundamental lesson.

(18) Tammy, November 30, 2010 3:39 PM

BAD role model !!!

Rabbi don't you know this band is satanic ? Even the name "Black Sabbath" is mocking G-d's HOLY day. G-d said to put a difference between the holy and the profane. I'm shocked and disappointed in you. You had a good message surely you could have used a BETTER role model !!!

(17) Shivi, November 30, 2010 1:34 PM

Why Black Shabbath?!

I totally agree about the necessity of ones' efforts, but I didn't understand why we should use the example of the heavy metal band, known for its occult and horror death themes, which seems to be the right opposite for the Torah of Light, especially in the time of approaching Hanukah.

(16) kenneth tedrow, November 29, 2010 3:51 AM

Having just stuck my neck out...

for the umpteenth time, maybe this time it'll work; funny I should happen upon your post just seconds later. BTW; that's some pretty heavy duty overdrive on the old Les Paul, I've just gone to an AG series Ibanez Hollow Body myself... nothing can touch this little beauty for the price!

(15) Hannah L, November 29, 2010 1:28 AM

great advice

Rabbi Tzvi, this is a good thought! Many people are sitting on their butts and complain because they are afraid to try. I think that the next piece should be about how to not afraid.

(14) Anonymous, November 29, 2010 12:19 AM

shabbos is masculine and femanine

technically shabbat is generally female but it is also used as a masculine word, as we find in the haftara by a taanis tzibur, "shomer shabbos michaliLO" and in the shabbat amidah prayer, ''viyanuchu vo yisrael," where vo, being masculine, acccording to the simple meaning of the prayer, is referring to shabbat

(13) judy, November 28, 2010 10:15 PM

Good lesson

Love it. Inspires me. Good lesson in guts. That band had the talent, they just needed the opportunity.

(12) Anonymous, November 28, 2010 9:56 PM

Yasher Koach

Yasher Koach

(11) asaf, November 28, 2010 9:54 PM

awsem !

great vid !!!!

(10) maggie bugden, November 28, 2010 8:41 PM

Great! Thank You!

(9) frank, November 28, 2010 8:38 PM

applies to all

this unique example applies to all walks of life.so don,t judge a group by it,s appearance. encouraging. thanks rabbi tzvi.

(8) Anonymous, November 28, 2010 7:20 PM

Terrific!!

Loved it!

(7) Anonymous, November 28, 2010 7:05 PM

Shabat

In Hebrew Shabat is Female, like a queen, Shabat Hamalka, Melave Malka etc. So, Black Sabbath (and we had one, is Shabat Shchora... I like Gibsons, but don't have one. Maybe I will put my mind to it.

(6) Mike the Music guy, November 28, 2010 5:49 PM

Rock and a buttered roll=Rockin'thoughts !!

I love Rock and Roll and I love Aish...both have saved my life !! When I'm feeling down I listen to music and read (listen) to incredible thoughts of the Rabbis on Aish's site...TODAH... PS...is there a way for Rabbi Gluckin to put his Rockin'thoughts on youtube?

(5) , November 28, 2010 3:12 PM

Good Morning to you too

You are so funny.

(4) suzi, November 28, 2010 2:50 PM

succeed? You must take a chance, try something new

Great talk, great delivery, great example, and great advice. Thank you for making sense, being entertaining,speaking plainly, and clearly to every level of reader. I was happily surprised, and this was the first of your little chats I have experienced. Again, THANK YOU!

(3) Keith, Woking.. UK, November 28, 2010 2:21 PM

"No Comment!"

Believe me.. If I said exactly what I thought about so-called heavy metal "music", I think I might be banned from this wonderful Aish HaTorah website!.... so.... "No Comment!" is the order of the day!!!.... Keith.

(2) Anonymous, November 28, 2010 2:10 PM

Rock On!

Yasher Koach! Great message delivered with a punch from the opening strains of "Paranoid" on a Les Paul classic.

(1) nechami brilliant, November 28, 2010 12:01 PM

thank you, awesome

wonderful message, great delivery, inspiring!

See All Comments

stub

About the Author

Rabbi Tzvi Gluckin

More by this Author >

Tzvi Gluckin lectures extensively on a wide range of Jewish related topics. He is the author of four books including: Everything You Want Is Really Jewish, Discover This, and Knee Deep in the Funk: Understanding the Connection Between Spirituality and Music. He served in the Israeli Army, holds a B.M. in Jazz Studies from the New England Conservatory of Music, and is currently the director of Vechulai, an innovative Jewish think tank in Boston. For more information, visit his website at gluckin.com/.