Jerusalem – Despite the prohibition against listening to music during Sefira, noted author Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, Rav of the Har Bracha settlement and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Bracha, has ruled that it is permissible to listen to recorded music during Sefira while driving in order to stay alert.
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Rabbi Melamed’s words appear in this week’s issue of “B’sheva” where he explains that it is permissible to listen to recorded music with instrumentation while driving, given that that in today’s day and age the multitude of electronic devices available makes listening to recorded music commonplace and not something that is considered a major source of happiness.
Outside of the car only a capella music is permitted according to Rabbi Melamed.
The prohibition against shaving during Sefira was another topic addressed by Rabbi Melamed who ruled that it is permissible to shave for Shabbos during Sefira. Explaining that while getting a haircut is an event that happens sporadically while shaving is an everyday occurrence, Rabbi Melamed said that it is appropriate to greet the Shabbos in an honorable way.
“Anyone who chooses to rely on this more lenient ruling should be allowed to do so without any admonition from anyone,” said Rabbi Melamed. “But the appropriate course of action is to follow in the customs of one’s father or Rabbi.”
oich mer a posek
Its not new news the Rosh Ha yeshiva Of Chofatz Chaim allows shaving Likovid Shabbos
Neither of these psakim are chiddushim.
Many poskim permit music in any situation where it is required for alertness or sanity, such as R’ Melamed’s car example, or a woman who is trying to settle down her children while she does housework.
As for shaving Erev Shabbos in sefirah, many Yeshivishe Yidden have this minhag, and many poskim rule that it is permissible to shave daily if not doing so would affect one’s parnassah.
Why is it that so many of these Israeli pesakim lag behind American Pesak?
Not that I am agreeing with this p’sak in the slightest – he certainly isn’t my rov – the statement “Despite the prohibition against listening to music during Sefira” is misleading, as there is no prohibition against listening to recorded music during sefira and the three weeks. We have a strong minhag not to – and therefore, I most certainly don’t do it – but it is not assur al pi Halacha.
There will always be some who prefer to adopt a more restrictive set of chumrahs during sefirah but there has been a clear trend over the years among the large percentage of the tzibur to be more flexible. Much of this has to do with more people working and simply needing to adopt to a secular lifestyle.
If you look at the halachos of sefira in the Shulchan Aruch, it does not mention not listening to music. Reply to #4 : what “g’zero” are you referring to? Are you even using the word “g’zero” correctly? Who made such a “g’zero” and when did he make it? I think you are confused or misinformed.
I heard that R’ Dovid Kronglass Z’TL, who was a top talmid in the Mirrer Yeshiva in Poland and who was the mashgiach of Ner Yisrael for many years (1950’s to early 1970’s) would go around the dorm in Ner Yisrael and make guys shave on friday afternoon l’kavod shabbos.
Reply to #9 – Depends who your leading thinkers of Halacha are. Mine are mostly in Israel.
For the record, when I was in Chafetz Chaim, Reb Henoch ZT”L insisted that we shave L’kovod Shabbos he supported his position with the T’Shuvos Chasam Sofer. Not sure what is news here…
So maybe stam yayin should also be mutar. No one dedicates his yayin to avodah zarah anymore, and intermarriage is more of a Starbucks thing.
music is assur year round. Who created this bizarre chiluk between recorded and live music. Although the 2 heterim make some sense, on what basis does he matir a capella, it brings to the same simcha.
When music was on tapes there really was a difference in sound between live and recorded. Nowadays CDs sound a lot more like live. (Though in those days we were very machmir about music during sefira.)
So there is also a heter to kol Isha CDs since recorded singing is not the real thing, and of course in the car to keep you awake is avadai muttar.