Madonna says she is "an ambassador for Judaism" (Oy, vey!!)

SF Gate ^ | STEVE WEIZMAN

[roses of sharon]

Hey, actually I thought you were being sarcastic about the sex toy and jewish law, lol.

For real? There are jewish laws about sex? (other than the obvious marriage one) Do they try to keep them updated or something?

Anyway, I doubt that they would approve of her walking around NY with an obvious bag of dildos:)

[ChicagoHebrew]

For real? There are jewish laws about sex? (other than the obvious marriage one) Do they try to keep them updated or something?

There are entire tractates in the Talmud concerning sex, and huge chapters in Jewish law's major codifications, such as the Shulchan Uruch.

There's no centralized authority that "updates" Jewish law today. But there are, in any given generation, a certain number of informally recognized and widely followed poseks (deciders) who issue decisions based on Jewish law and answer questions on specific issues (which are generally redacted to remove personal details and published as responsa).

Judaism's basic view of sex (as understood within normative Orthodox Judaism) is that anything is permissible with marriage or other recognized relationship (such as biblical concubinage, which remains technically legal under Jewish law but is ridiculously discouraged and barely ever practiced), subject to a few exceptions including, among other things: (1) the laws of family purity must be observed (i.e. abstention during certain days in connection with a woman's cycle and immersion in a ritual bath); (2) birth control is discouraged and subject to numerous conditions (the pill is usually ok after a couple has two children, condoms aren't); (3) certain kinds of sexual activities are prohibited if engaged in for the purpose of avoiding pregnancy (rather than for the couple's own pleasure and enjoyment).

There are also laws regulating and penalizing sexual activities outside of recognized relationships. For example, certain women (such women who have worked as prostitutes or women with lesbian experiences) are classified as promiscuous and prohibited from marrying a Cohen (Jewish priest). Male masturbation is a big no-no. And children molested at a very young age are still considered virgins, regardless of the trauma inflicted upon them.

As to Madonna, assuming she was Jewish and used the sex toys strictly in the confines of marriage, followed the laws of family purity, and did not use them for the purpose of avoiding pregnancy (a non-issue at her age), there'd be nothing wrong with it. But you're right that it would be wrong to walk around in public while obviously carrying them -- it would violate certain precepts of modesty.