Volume 67, Issue 8

A Song of Rebuke

I am writing in response to the article entitled “Do You Hear the Women Sing? The Kol Isha Myth” by Mordechai Levovitz.  I found the article to be personally insulting of my own and the entire Jewish nation’s intelligence and furthermore a large Chillul Hashem. 

Mr. Levovitz argued that because many alleged “frum” Jews attend theatrical plays where women sing it should become a halkhic ruling that men be permitted to hear women sing.  Mr. Levovitz brought down a rather lengthy and lofty halachic psak of his own, based on the information provided by many halachic authorities. 

I challenge his logic on a few fronts.  Firstly, just because many men willingly attend a show where kol isha is present (sinfully may I add) should in no means imply that it is halakhically correct.  If, heaven forbid, many Orthodox Jews were to begin to drive on Shabbos, would it in any circumstance be considered permissible?  It absolutely would not be, and I would venture to say that anyone who would deem that halakhically correct is a heretic and an apikores.  The fact that many "religious" men attend such shows means absolutely nothing in regards to the halachic validity of it.  All of the poskim in our age, and in the past, have ruled that listening to women sing is an absolute avera. 

Furthermore, I argue, that the hashkafa of Torah U'Maddah certainly does not, and should not if it does, allow for the changing of Halacha because of modern conveniences or situations.  The Torah was given to us by Hashem with laws, those laws that were given to us on Har Sinai are still and will always be applicable regardless of what year it is. 

Mr. Levovitz, I request that you take a little more time and consideration into what you print.  You most certainly made a Chillul Hashem and furthermore were in violation of Poresh Min Hazibor.  The halakha, based on all legitimate authorities, states that performances where women sing are assur. An uneducated fellow may read your piece and easily assume now that it is permissible to hear kol isha.  That will forever be on your conscience. You should show extreme care and restraint before publishing an article such as this one to the general public.  You, or I, are in no position to make halachic rulings, and therefore it simply should not be done by laymen. 

Adam Mayer

SSSB 2005¨

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