AP: "Some Rabbis Criticize New Madonna Song"

Madonna, it seems, has a song called "Isaac" on her new album, and the "Isaac" in question is the Arizal. I don't think the folks at the AP have much of a feel for Israeli religious politics:

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 Maariv.

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)."

Exactly what "community" is "Esther" supposed to be thrown out of? The community of celebrity Kaballah enthusiasts? Does this mean that Britney Spears will be shunning her?

Update: Here is an interesting paragraph from the Reuters article on the same subject:

Deemed especially provocative was Madonna's music video for "Die Another Day", in which she wove phylacteries around her arm, a custom usually reserved for Jewish men, before escaping from an electric chair on which Hebrew letters spelling out one of the 72 names of God appeared.