Madonna (or Esther) has come under fire from religious scholars in Israel for using the name of a revered Kabbalist rabbi in a song featured on her upcoming album, Confessions on a Dance Floor.
According to local reports, rabbis charged with looking after the grave of Yitzhak Luria, a 16th century Jewish mystic buried in the northern town of Safed, criticized Madonna for supposedly defiling his legacy as one of Kabbalah's most renowned figures by titling her cut "Isaac," the English translation of his Hebrew name.
While Madonna might have thought she was honoring a spiritual leader, the Israeli rabbis say she crossed the line and is in danger of incurring God's wrath.
"Jewish law forbids the use of the name of the holy rabbi for profit," Rabbi Rafael Cohen, head of the seminary named after Luria, told Israel's Maariv newspaper Sunday. "Her act is just simply unacceptable and I can only sympathize for her because of the punishment that she is going to receive from Heaven. The Sage Isaac is holy and pure, and immodest people cannot sing about him."
Other ultra-Orthodox rabbis sought a more Earth-based penalty, calling for Madonna to be excommunicated from her mystical faith. "Such a woman brings great sin on Kabbalah," said Rabbi Israel Deri. "I hope that we will have the strength to prevent her from bringing sin upon the holiness of [Rabbi Luria]."
At the rate the 47-year-old singer's going, there aren't too many more religions left to offend.
