Question: What music is forbidden during The Three Weeks / Bein haMetzarim – the period of mourning commemorating the destruction of the first and second Beis Hamidkash?
Answer by Rabbi Yosef Ginsburg of Omer, Israel:
During the days from 17 Tammuz – 9 Av, it is forbidden to dance, play any musical instruments and hear music – even recorded (i.e. not live music).
There is room to be stringent on this also with children who are of chinuch age (6-7 years-old).
But it is customary to be lenient with singing vocals only and hearing such singing that has been recorded.
There are some who permit playing recorded music in children’s summer camps, not for entertainment purposes, until Rosh Chodesh Av.
According to Sephardic custom which allows weddings until Rosh Chodesh, one can hear music and dance. Yet some restrict an Ashkenazi who attends a Sephardic wedding from listening to the music and partaking in the dancing.
One who teaches music should not continue with classes if it is music of pleasure. But if it is his livelihood, he may be lenient until the week of Tisha B’Av.
The same is for one who learned music for his livelihood, he may continue until the week of Tisha B’Av. If he has no enjoyment from the learning, he can learn until 8 Av.
One who is ill and bedridden can listen to music if it brings him comfort. The same is for one who is in therapy.
The soothing music played from toys hanging on a baby’s cradle is permitted because there is no simcha involved.
There is room to allow the hearing of sad songs, especially songs dealing with the destruction and exile of the Jewish people.
Sources:
ראה מג”א סי’ תקנ”א ס”ק י. כף החיים ס”ק טל. פסקי תשובות סי’ תצג ס”ק יג. נטעי גבריאל הל’ בין המצרים פט”ו, וש”נ.
Moshiach NOW would solve the problem
Reb Moshe paskened that the halocha has not changed and music is at all times ossur.
The saying goes “Lekabel Haames Memi Sheomro”. So you you know what? check him out yourself and let us all know the feed back you get. Thanks for being upfront!
Its so depressing I need music NOW
Cowardly to basmuch someone like that and not put your name to it. Must just be a personal grudge or jealosy.
it is eitherway not allowd couse it’s non jewish music with jewish words!
omygoodness are you my Tanya teacher?!
With all due respects to the Rav, he forgot to add if moshiach doesn’t, chas v’Shalom, come.
It is very important to note that Rabbi Ginsburg is a self made Rabbi and just collects info. from books and the like and in that he does a good job. But and i mean BUT that he is far and very far from being a peoples Rabbi with this I mean someone who has and knows the FIFTH Shulchan Aruch. I therefore would like to state that everything Rabbi Ginsburg states one should take with a grain of salt! and a fairly sized grain! his opinion is not obliging on every one. BTW one is surely aloud to hear… Read more »
You must call a rav for a heter to listen to music while working out, and (to my understanding) they’ll only (maybe) grant it if you truly can’t workout without it, and are at clear health risk if you diminish your workout efforts for three weeks. I totally understand the need/desire (b/c I feel the same way), but if you’re not shiach for a heter, here’s some alternative suggestions – listen to a shiur, do the exercise bike and read a book, workout with a friend, swim, or maybe find other ways to stay fit for three weeks. It’s only… Read more »
Ummmm, the whole point of not listening to music is so (basically) you shouldnt become besimcha and dance
I reckon that going to Zumba, the music there is to MAKE you dance(try doing zumba without it) so i reckon it will probably not be ok.
If listening to Music on your Ipod is not ok and you wont start randomly dancing, then going to zumba, listening to music AND dancing…..
Unless maybe if its for exercise and yada yada
But hey, What do i know, im only 16.
From, Fellow Melbourne boy.
What about music if you go to zumba classes
what a depressing mussar-dike title. i know it’s a sad time, but come on people!
Allowed Nichoach Music during the 3 weeks in Gan Israel NY.
is chassidishe chometz kosher on pesach?
Concerning the heter from Rabbi Garelick – in the earlier years, hiskashrus specified that that heter was for camps (see for example issue #675). For some reason later he took that out. I suspect, that perhaps that heter was limited to that situation (i.e. maybe there were non-religious chidren etc.). Without knowing the details of that psak, one cannot build a blanket heter.
What do you mean “even recorder”, recorded or the instrument called a recorder (similar to a flute) ?
You’re 100% right
maybe it’s because pre-recorded music is not the same as live..(which is why people pay hundreds to have live music and not recorded at events)
it’s possible that when the minhagim were established, listening to music was a luxury and associated with a big simcha. Now that people hear music all day everyday there maybe room for heteirim.
Rabbi Garelik A”H from kfar chabad actually allowed it until Rosh Chodesh. This pssak was pubished at list once in the wekly Hiskashrus and I even saved it for rference purposes…
is that a question or a statement or both?!?
What makes a music “jewish?
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Sad beautiful songs? Reminds me of what my Bubbe used to say, “People say,’A sheinah levaya’, a beautiful funeral”.
is this example from r’ ginsberg, or from the publishers. i understand that tapes with acapella, are singing that is then worked on with computer and “enhanced”, which would then make it “instramental”?
= = = = = = =
COLlive response:
Thanks for pointing that out.
We removed our acappella reference.
No one should EVER listen to sad songs. Sad anything is asur, it is worse than any other yetzer hara.
Niggunim without instrumental accompaniment are permitted
Not if its pleasure ( u wrote beautiful) and has to be jewish of course
when I was activity director in teen camp, I called up every lubavitcher rav to get a heter to play music on the PA system. even though you shouldn’t go “rav hopping”, I thought that it would be for the best of the camp if we would hear music in the background – even lubavitch niggunim. I called at least 8 rabbonim – internationally! NOT ONE Rav gave a heter. Rabbi Hendel A”H gave me some insight: after the churban, the rabbonim made a gzairah that no music at all should be played. ( that’s why in the old city… Read more »
“singing that has been recorded” is now simply an instrument playing music which should therefore be forbidden?! What is the heter that at one point before recording it was just singing???
can i listen to music when i jog?
chassidisheh music? i thought that it was totally permissable
omg is that a heter to listen to sad songs during the three weeks?? does that mean i can make a playlist of all the sad, beautiful songs that are done with music?
what about music for excersing is that ok?