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1.31.2007

HALACHA-----music during sefira

mihas Posted - 24 April 2001 18:35


Is there any heter to listen to music during sefira e.g. not live etc.

Is there any diff between Jewish and non Jewish music by sefira?


MODERATOR Posted - 24 April 2001 18:37


Although there are unconfirmed rumors about a certain Rosh Yeshiva saying that non-live music is permitted on Sefirah, it is not Halachicly based. You may not listen to any music on Sefirah, including tapes or CDs.

There is no diff between Jewish and NJ music.


byg Posted - 25 April 2001 18:06


I heard that you are aloud to listen to music for exercise, is that true? and why?

MODERATOR Posted - 25 April 2001 18:09


I would agree with that. The reason is because the music is serving a practical purpose rather than you listening for the enjoyment of listening. But you can’t fool yourself and use the exercise as an excuse to listen to the music. If you do that, you really are listening for enjoyment.


ptgard2281 Posted - 26 April 2001 18:25


So then is it okay to practice playing a musical instrument since that also has a purpose?

MODERATOR Posted - 26 April 2001 18:33


If you are a professional, it is permitted. If not, it’s considered plain enjoyment.


byg Posted - 26 April 2001 18:34


Thanx, and what about listening to music without music, I heard that you CAN, but why - you still are enjoying it?

MODERATOR Posted - 26 April 2001 18:44


Eating an ice cream cone is also enjoyment, but it’s permitted since only enjoyment from "music" is prohibited. Singing without instruments is like an ice cream cone - it’s enjoyable but it’s not considered in the category of "music".


BinaDaya Posted - 03 August 2001 13:32


BS"D

The posek of my yeshiva said, in a vaad: Nowhere is there an issur to listen to music during sefira. It is a chumra. The issur is to dance.

Therefore, we do not listen to music since it may lead us to dance. He pointed out, that there are, therefore, a number of poskim who permit slow music during sefira.

Also, someone told me that the issur of kol isha does not apply to a non-Jewish woman. Is this true? (I would like to be able to tell him that he heard incorrectly.)
Thank you.


MODERATOR Posted - 03 August 2001 13:56


Listening to music in Sefirah is a binding prohibition, not merely a "chumrah". So say Igros Moshe (OH I:166, III:83) Minchas Yitzchok (I:111) Yechaveh Daas (III:30), and others. I am not aware of any posek who disagrees with this.

If the Rav of your Yeshiva may cite someone, I would be appreciative.

A chumrah is a behavior that is not Halachicly binding in any way, but has value, either as a safeguard (siyag) or as fulfillment of a Halachic opinion that is not mandatory to follow etc.

Once a behavior becomes a Minhag, however, it is from then on Halachicly binding. Minchas Yitzchok (above) points out that the Minhag of not listening to music during Sefirah is mentioned in early poskim, but even if it originated merely as an added chumrah because of the prohibition to dance, since it became a Minhag of Klall Yisroel not to listen to music, it therefore becomes binding on everyone.

He adds (from the Chasam Sofer) that violating a minhag may be violating an issur d’oraisa of Neder.

See also Pri Megadim 551 where he equates the prohibition of listening to music with the prohibition of dancing.

Re: Kol Isha. The Halachah is that the voice of any woman who you may not marry is prohibited. This includes shiksas.

Your friend is probably misreading a statement in Chaye Adam, quoted in Mishna Brurah (75:27) that even though the voice of a non-Jewish woman is certainly prohibited, since she is not an ervah d’oraisa, if someone is walking in the street and hears a non-Jewish women's voice and

(a) he is not listening on purpose and

(b) he cannot stop her,

then he does not have to stop his learning or making Brachos, because since we live among the Goyim, and Goyish women's voices are therefore all over the place, it would reduce our opportunities for learning and davening greatly if we were to stop whenever we were forced to hear the voice of a non-Jewish woman, therefore "ais laasos lahashem", and we continue our learning regardless.

This is based on an original statement of the Mordechai.

It does NOT say you may purposely listen to a non-Jewish woman's voice. Rather, if you are walking in the street and cannot help overhearing some shiksa's voice, you do not have to stop learning. But that's only when you can't help it, and you are an Ones. The only question is, in such a case, do you have to stop learning. The answer is, no.

But where you can control the situation, where you are not an ones, it is 100% prohibited to hear kol isha of a non-Jewish woman.


BinaDaya Posted - 06 August 2001 14:15


BS"D
Thank you!!
B'li neder, I'll get back to you about the music during sefira thing.


YeshivaBochur Posted - 06 August 2001 17:40


Hi,

I heard that Rav Moshe Feinstein said it was assur to listen to music and that the Gemara in Bava Basra says that after the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash we cant listen to music anymore since we are in mourning.

I would like to know who permitted us to listen to music and who didn’t, why is there a heter now, because I heard that its a big misconception that really were not allowed to sing scriptural verses and people are just following everyone and thinking that since a lot of people do it maybe its fine but I heard it isn’t. So maybe you can explain this whole thing to me please.


MODERATOR Posted - 06 August 2001 17:41


This was discussed. Please see http://bbs.shemayisrael.com/anything/Topic.asp?topic_id=347&forum_id=30&Topic_Title=music&forum_title=Jewish+Music


Live613 Posted - 21 August 2001 19:05


The gym at which I work out has overhead TV’s which I don't want to infiltrate my mind with Goyish Hashkafos and thus don’t want to be watching and so usually I just make sure not to look up and I listen to music on my walkman instead...Now it's the three weeks and I cant listen to music and no way am I working out to a speech tape.

Please can you answer this soon because it comes up every day?... thank you- you da man.

P.S. While I'm on the topic is it true that there is an issur d’oraisa to watch TV?
mekor? What about for girls?

P.P.S. Just another thought- this guy told me he thinks it is a lot more dangerous and risky and bad for a guy to watch TV then be in a relationship with a girl...He says his hanhala and yeshiva back that...Can you explain it from a male point of view cuz it sounds a shtickel ludicrous to me...thank you so much.


MODERATOR Posted - 21 August 2001 20:57


Listen to acapella music instead.

TV could be an issur d’oraisa depending on what you watch. Lo sasuru acharei levavchem - which means you cannot read heretical or dirty books. TV can qualify as that.

I don’t agree that it is worse than having a relationship with a girl. Each one does its own type of damage. It’s not something that you can measure. But in general, if someone has relationships with girls (and I am assuming you mean "relationship" the way it is commonly used) than if he would stop the relationships and rather watch TV, I believe that would be a step UP, not down.

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