A Capella...Load of...
I'm a little addicted to music. Ok, a LOT addicted to music. My stereo is pumpin right till the last minute before shabbos, and the first minute after havdalah. In the morning, when I get dressed, the music's going. Just ask my parents.Music is my friend who doesn't care if I wear denim or not. Anytime I'm hurting, my music is there for me. When I cook, when I eat, whenI blog, when I research, when I write papers, when I read...my music is on.
Sefira. It's been, what? 4 days???? And I'm going out of my mind. All my emotions are building up like a freakin fortress. I have been singing every song that comes to mind. (Wow, all these personal blogs I've been reading have had an influence...)
Anyway, in Seminary, we were discussing music and sefira. My Rebbe said that the only way it's permitted is if you need it to stay awake in the car, or you need to exercise. "Get the clothing off the treadmill, people, I'm going in." Nope. I think that's a lame-o excuse, no offense. He said that I can't exercise for the music, it has to be the other way around. But I feel that if someone's sole motivation for exercise is the music, he can afford to skip a few weeks.
When I lamented to someone about my lack of music, he immediatley responded, "So listen to A Capella" First of all, you couldn't pay me enough to hear a bunch of frum guys spit for a beat. Second of all, this whole A Capella business is a load of garbage!! What is WITH people and trying to get around everything? I call that half-@$$ Judaism. I'm getting my stuff together for that one, b/c it's gonnna be LONG and ANGRY. No music is no music. The Rabbi in seminary quoted some Seforim that said no instruments, and no singing. Come to think of it, I shouldn't be singing myself. Well, there goes that. :-( .
So this Rabbi asked, "I can't imagine who gave these people a Heter to release these albums, when there is little/nothing to rely on?" My Response: "The Record companies who are looking to make a quick buck on everyone else's account." There's your Jewish businessman for ya.
posted by Michelle @ 11:57 AM
8 Comments:
BTW, Should I assume that if there are no comments, y'all agree with me?
Michelle,
1) Why is A-capella more mutar than other music? no instruments? sounds a bit dachuk to me. Could you go to an Acapella concert?
2) Apropos of concerts, obviously live music was the original minhag. I personally believe that if recorded music is necessary for peace of mind, then it is important and should be allowed.
TRK
As far as I am aware, R'Moshe said one should never listen to music at all, except for a simchas - weddings etc. Based on that, I've heard people say that since they listen to music all year anyway and dont listen to R' Moshe - who doesnt make a distinction between Sefira and the rest of the time; they say they can listen to music during the Omer.
Sounds krum to me.
Karl,
Yes, R' MOshe did say that, but many (if not most) yidden aren't makpid on that, Rav Ovadia amongst others is Matir.
All the mekoros re: Omer discuss live music.
TRK
Truth be told, my article was based on what I heard ONE Rabbi say. he mentioned the thing about never listening to music besides for simchas, which made me feel like G-d forbid I'm going straight you know where that I listen to music altogether, moreso, rely on it for my pyshchological well-being.
But he read from a sefer, i don't remember which, and I don't want to misquote, but one of the chashuv ones like Mishnah Brurah or something of that sort, that said that you can't hear instruments OR people sing. Especially since nowadays most a capella you can't tell there are no instruments bec ppl are spitting for beats, and there are also harmonies and blah-blah that people don't even MISS it. So I stand my statement that listening to a cappella music during sefira is half-you-know-whatted.
Dude, there are heterim for everything. You mist destroy your chometz. Don't want to get rid of it all? No problem - sell it to a goy. You can't collect money after shmittah year. No problem - write a shtar iska.
That said, I agree that in this case, it's people being devoted to the letter of the law as opposed to the spirit of the law. But I don't blame the artists - I blame the sheeple for not knowing any better.
I 100% agree with you that listening to a capella is really stretching it. I know my father thinks it's wrong. I've never heard anything against singing, though. Check your notes from 11th grade-I think we were taught specifically that singing is o.k. As for music in general, my father read us something from 1 of his seforim that might shed some light on the argument. He said that based on the pasuk "Aich nashir es shir Hashem al admas naichar" we shouldn't be allowed to listen to music. The only reason we are allowed to listen to music now that we're in galus is if it brings us closer to Hashem. So now you have a cheshbon hanefesh to do. Quite honestly, after I heard this I stopped listening to non-Jewish music, although it wasn't so hard because I'd only been listening to it for about 3 months. In my (nonathorative)opinion, this cuts out most "Jewish" music also.
Curious here again about your definition of sprituality.
Is it about taking on chumros? Making yourself miserable? about feeling close to G-d? feeling happy? please define.
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