New Madonna song criticized

[buttmunch]

By RACHEL HOAG
Associated Press Writer


JERUSALEM


A song on Madonna's upcoming album dedicated to a Kabbalist rabbi is drawing criticism from other rabbis, the Israeli Maariv daily reported Sunday.

The album, "Confessions on a Dance Floor," is to be released on Nov. 15 and features a track entitled "Isaac" about Yitzhak Luria, a 16th century Jewish mystic and Kabbalah scholar.

Rabbis who oversee Luria's tomb and a seminary in the northern town of Safed are unimpressed with Madonna's musical tribute and see the inclusion of the song about Luria on the album as an attempt by the pop star to profit from his name.

Rabbi Rafael Cohen, head of a seminary named after Luria, suggested Madonna's actions could lead to divine retribution.

"Jewish law forbids the use of the name of the holy rabbi for profit. Her act is just simply unacceptable and I can only sympathize for her because of the punishment that she is going to receive from the heavens," Cohen told the newspaper.

Another rabbi called for Madonna to be thrown out of the community.

"Such a woman brings great sin on kabbalah," Rabbi Israel Deri told Maariv. "I hope that we will have the strength to prevent her from bringing sin upon the holiness of the rabbi (Yitzhak Luria)."

Madonna spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment Sunday.

The singer and actress was raised a Roman Catholic but has become a follower of Kabbalah in recent years and adopted the Hebrew name Esther. She made a much publicized visit to Israel in 2004, when she visited many sites important to Kabbalah, but didn't travel to Luria's grave.

Ok,. when will this bloody new host allow me to just post an article without having to write anything else?

[stargazer]

Oy vey. What's that Ester gets.

[FierceKiten]

This is another one of her religion fads, so why dont the save all the hoopblah.
I mean from the title of it she's always is going to missunderstood as usual...
"As they say "This too shall pass".

[Algernon]

Wow. They are threatening after-worldy punishment...yikes!

I really doubt that her dedicating a song to a Rabbi is going to affect the sales of her album. Thus I don't think she is capitalizing on the name of a Rabbi. However, I'm sure the REAL Kabbalists are starting to get more than pissed at all the new sacrilegious movie star Kabbalists.

[stargazer]

What a $ham. Yet another publicity stunt to drive sales of her new CD. She likes being the so-called controversial "artiste."

Watch her yakk on about Freedom of Speech or something if challenged on this. Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if she and the rabbis were in cahoots (i.e., they staged a protest at her behest) to bring more attention to her newfound religion, and naturally, to herself.

[Lobelia]

If she makes any money at all from that song, it could be argued that she's profitting from the name. I know zip about Kabbalah, but she knows what she's doing. She also knew it would get publicity. Didn't her last album tank?

So, all this respect for this religion, all this devotion to it has led to THIS. Once again, she demonstrates that she has no real regard for anyone or anything else, and she lives strictly on her own terms. She is a disgusting narcissist, granted the BEST & most grandiose narcissist, and the American public has made her so.

[olivia720]

i dont think holy kabbalists carry much weight with her listening public.

[buttmunch]

She's gone off the rails...can't that sort of normal hubby reign her in or something?