The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, passed away last week. In addition to her twenty #1 R&B hits, eighteen Grammy awards, multiple honorary doctorates, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (the first woman to receive this honor), Franklin and her song lyrics were also cited by what prominent Jewish person?
Aretha Franklin 1968 is in the public domain.
A. In his book Jewish Wisdom, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin includes a section on kavanah, which he defines as intention and focus on the meaning of the words and the movements of prayer. In addition to offering quotes on this subject from Simeon bar Yochai and Rambam, he also includes a quote from the song Spirit in the Dark, written by Aretha Franklin. “Put your hand on your hips/Cover your eyes/And move with the spirit/Go on and move/Move with the spirit.” Telushkin explains, “Here’s an example from the Queen of Soul, whose background is in the Gospel, but whose words express exactly what the rabbis mean by kavanah–that your entire body, mind, and soul work together in harmony when you are most in touch with God.”
B. Rabbi Michael J. Broyde, in his book The Best Love of the Child: Being Loved and Being Taught to Love as the First Human Right, argues that the most important aspect of parenting is not love, but rather how the parent treats the child. Citing the example wherein King Solomon suggests splitting a baby to determine who should be granted custody, Broyde writes that “King Solomon was not seeking to determine who is the true mother, but who is the true and proper caregiver.” Broyde goes on to state, “I will now end with the signature song/lyric of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, one that I think better encapsulates the Jewish tradition’s understanding of what the basis of the relationship is. Ultimately, it is not love that matters, but R-E-S-P-E-C-T.”
C. Rodney Dangerfield, in his autobiography It’s Not Easy Bein’ Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs, noted, “Growing up, I was always a shlemiel. Among a group of nerdy Jewish kids, I was the super nerd. I REALLY didn’t get any respect. So it wasn’t an act. But when Aretha Franklin so graciously agreed to come on my TV show and let me sing backup while she performed Respect–now that was a surreal moment for me. That might be the only time in my life that I truly couldn’t say ‘I don’t get no respect!’ ”
D. Traditional morning blessings in Judaism (uttered by men) include the words “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, for not having made me a woman.” In her book How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household, author Blu Greenberg wrote of this prayer and offered a perspective to Orthodox women who were troubled by these words. Said Greenberg, “This prayer speaks to how men relate to God, but it does not diminish our relationship to God. We do not utter those words every morning, but we should be uttering our own prayer to God every morning, thanking Him for our blessings. I get my inspiration from many sources, Jewish and secular. In this case, I am guided by the words of Hal David, sung so movingly by the great singer Aretha Franklin: ‘The moment I wake up/Before I put on my makeup/I say a little prayer for you/While combing my hair, now/And wondering what dress to wear, now/I say a little prayer for you.’ I don't have to concern myself with what men are saying every morning. I only have to focus on the path God has laid out for me.”
E. Former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s emails, computer files, and other documents were obtained by special prosecutor Robert Mueller in a raid by the FBI. Among the evidence was a voicemail recording of a conversation between Cohen and Trump in which Cohen says, “You know, Donald. My wife asked me why I’m still working for you, and I gotta tell you, I didn’t have a good answer for her. But then I remembered the words of Aretha Franklin in her great song, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You). She summed it up perfectly: ‘You’re a no good heart breaker/You’re a liar and you’re a cheat/And I don’t know why/I let you do these things to me/My friends keep telling me/That you ain’t no good/But oh, they don’t know/That I’d leave you if I could/I guess I’m uptight/And I’m stuck like glue.’ ”