This image was lost some time after publication.

At the risk of turning this space into a Brunch with the Brainwashed, we note that the Kabbalah Centre is ponying up for a set of $2 million houses in Beverly Hills for the Berg family, the organization's Chief Bringers of the Light. We've expended a lot of words on skepticism about the Centre and its apparent profiteering, but in this case we'd like to express our admiration for their restraint. These are pretty modest digs for cult leaders. With all of the money they're bringing in, the Bergs could've gone for a David Geffen-style pleasuredome, with fifteen gold hot tubs, an Olympic-sized pool filled with magic, healing Kabbalah water, and a dinner bell that summons Madonna for an impromptu medley of her greatest hits. Join us in applauding their Beverly Hills asceticism.


[Photo: RickRoss.com]