Amnon Yitzchak and the music ban

I'm not sure if you have been following this story, but for the past many months Amnon Yitzchak, through his 'Rabbinical advisory board' has been lambasting just about every Jewish musician and calling all Jewish music not kosher (it is a good thing I try very hard not to listen to Jewish music - saves a lot of problems). He produces a colourful multi-page parsha sheet each week, and at least one full page, and sometimes two, have been dedicated to pushing the agenda against Jewish music. He published photos of those singers and musicians who he doesn't approve of (which is basically everyone), he published 'ask the rabbi' pages dedicated to boycotting Jewish music, and he had 'haskamos' from Gedolim encouraging his ban (including Rav Elyashiv's signature, despite the fact that Rav Elyashiv doesn't actually support Amnon Yitzchak).

When someone gets this crazy about something, it is clear (unfortunately) that there is a money angle somewhere. I have been waiting each week for the 'kickback'. Well, this week all was explained.

He has launched his own 'hechsher' for music. If you agree to abide by their impossible conditions (literally impossible - you have to agree to listen to whatever they say, even if they say that right is left and left is right) and not have anything to do with any non-kosher musicians, and live a Jewish life, and submit all lyrics and music to their committee for checking, and many other conditions - then they will give you a hechsher for your music. - Oh, did I forget to mention that you also have to give them a 15,000 shekel deposit which they will keep in the event that you don't fulfil any of their conditions.

You can read the terms and conditions here (on page 7) if you read Hebrew.

(The link seems to be unavailable at the moment. I'm not sure if they have removed it from the website, or if they are just updating the website)

If you just want to look at some more photos of forbidden musicians have a look on page 6 for a 'rogues gallery' of 15 singers (including someone called "Klippy Shmeltzer" - perhaps he is related to Flipper).

Unfortunately the best way for Chareidim to make money is to ban something, then charge for the kosher alternative. We have seen this so many times over the past few years, it is quite sickening. Still, at least they don't have to leave Yeshiva and get a job!

The only question remaining, is whether anyone will pay any attention to this hechsher at all. Will it cover the costs of any libel suits if any of the 'banned' singers decide to try to stop his campaign?

As we learnt from the New Zealand anti-shechita campaign - always look for the money. That always explains the real truth behind things.

Kosher music

I know that this is not new news, but I actually just saw this hechsher today.

It seems that the main source for his opinions is not the Talmud or Shulchan Aruch, but American Preachers. (Though I can't even find a source for his claim that the saxophone was referred to as the "Devil's Flute" in the '20s)

The best line is that "the use of 2-4 music, and other rock and disco beats is forbidden." Well, I suppose it is Waltzes all the way from now on! And no swaying to the music!

Rabbi Akiva says:

ר' עקיבא אומר המנענע קולו בשיר השירים בבית המשתה ועושה אותו כמין זמר אין לו חלק לעולם הבא (תוספתא סנהדרין יב, ה"י)

(loose translation)
Anyone who sings Shir HaShirim at a wedding and makes it into a tune has not portion in the World to Come? (Tosefta 12:10)

(I know that perhaps it doesn't mean wedding, but pub (see my previous post), and I know that some want to say it only applies to Shir HaShirim - but what other source is there for a ban if not this?)

So either everything is permitted, or everything is forbidden. Who authorised Rabbi Luft to give a hechsher to any music?

So, if we are all doomed anyway, let's go out in style:


Primus - The Devil Went Down To Georgia
Uploaded by Dan_of_the_Land. - News videos hot off the press.

(Do not listen to this if you don't like Devil's music - it has a rock beat in 4/4)

Best Article for Ages

I am putting this on my blog for those who don't read Yeshiva World, who may have missed this fantastic article. Nothing else needs to be said (which didn't stop 123 people writing comments on yeshiva world with plenty to say).

Read this if it is the only article you read this week!

Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum: A Kosher Alternative

Many people are in total shock at some of the goings on in the Catskills this summer. I will not go into the details. Suffice it to say that hundreds of our teenagers - boys and girls - were enticed to engage in activities that are far from what their parents and teachers consider acceptable, and far from what we have a right to expect from Yeshiva and Bais Yaakov products. While there are many reasons for it and no easy or simple solutions, we must be very careful not to add to the problem by forbidding everything without providing a satisfactory kosher replacement.

The Yetzer Hora of today is not the one of yesterday or the one our grandparents had to deal with. Today we have television, movies, CDs, DVD’s, Internet, videos, certain type cell phones, and music that are extremely attractive and contain more filth than ever before. They are everywhere and they can easily be brought into our homes without detection. Their influence and message is so powerful and seductive that they have penetrated even the best homes. We are dealing with a mighty foe whose magnetic power of attraction is difficult to resist. Saying “No” doesn’t always work. Unless we provide our children with a kosher alternative to it all, we are asking for trouble.

While in the past, summer camps may have been considered a luxury and kids could be kept in the city, nowadays camps are a lifesaver. Most summer camps provide kids with a kosher outlet for their pent up energies with a balanced program of learning and sports. There is Color War and BOG. There are hikes and trips. Children are kept so busy that they don’t have the time or desire to look for non-kosher means of entertainment.

Many years ago, Pirchei Agudas Yisroel used to organize trips to Washington, Baltimore, and Toronto. Motzoei Shabbos there was learning along with game nights, and concerts. There was the famous Pirchei Choir that put out beautiful records and tapes that brought countless hours of delightful Jewish entertainment into thousands of homes. This was all done in order to keep children busy during their free time so they shouldn’t have to go looking elsewhere. It was important to show children at a very early age that the Torah is not just restrictions, but that Shabbos as well as the rest of the week can be a time of constructive joy and pleasure. Happy laughter and family voices in the home will keep more kids off the streets at night than the strictest curfew.

I still remember when the Pirchei Agudas Yisrael put on a play and concert more than forty years ago in Montauk Junior High School. ( The play was based on the book Family Aguilar. ) There were some who tried to convince the rabbonim to put a ban on it. Since I was the president of Pirchei at the time, Rabbi Moshe Sherer z.l, asked me to go down to the venerable gaon hador, Rabbi Moshe Fienstien z.t.l., to get his halachic opinion. Not only did he not ban it, but he gave it his blessings. He understood only too well the importance of giving the boys a kosher alternative; otherwise they would soon find their pleasures elsewhere. One must be very careful before imposing restrictions. “Restrict everything and everything becomes permitted,” is what my father z.t.l. once said. When some tried to ban the Miami Boys Choir Concert in N.Y. and tried to get Rabbi Pam z.t.l.s’ signature as well as that of the Mirer Rosh Yeshiva to ban it, they both refused to sign.

A number of years ago, Rabbi Motty Katz of JEP and I organized a Chanuka trip to Washington on the two days that yeshivas give off for Chanuka vacation. Thanks to Mr. Yisroel Lefkowitz and others who helped subsidize part of the trip, we were able to charge only $20, which included an overnight stay in a nice motel. We were only able to take along 100 boys even though many more boys wanted to come along. I received a very nasty letter in the mail from a prominent rosh yeshiva accusing me of causing bitul Torah and admonishing me for organizing the trip. I very respectfully replied that it wasn’t I who was causing any bittul Torah but rather the yeshivas that gave the kids off for two days without providing them with something positive to do. I told him that if he wanted, I would show him where some of his students are hanging out during this time. I never received a reply.

I give great credit to the Mirer Yeshivah in Yerushalayim that has realized the great problem of what happens when their bocurim have nothing to do during bein hazmanim. The yeshiva organizes trips at subsidized prices which take their talmidim around Eretz Yisroel. If only other yeshivas would follow their example, many tragedies would be avoided.

When sports and concerts are forbidden, and all forms of kosher entertainment are off limits, we are asking for trouble. If our kids can’t find a place to vent their energy within a kosher environment, then they will find it elsewhere. In a time of war even the Torah itself permitted one to marry a captive non-Jewish girl under certain conditions. Chazal explain the logic behind this law. The Torah understood that a person is only human and therefore in this instance, while fighting a war, it gave him some leeway. The Gemora tells us that for everything the Torah forbade it gave us something similar that was permitted. Today’s war with the Yetzer Horah is far greater than ever before.

But in every generation we have the likes of Doeg and Achitofel who misled great people such as Shaul and Avshalom with falsehoods and lies that caused them to try to kill Dovid. Doeg even succeeded in getting Shaul to kill all the Kohanim in the city of Nov. This shows how falsehoods can be spread, how easily they are believed, and the terrible damage that can result. Even the greatest of the great are vulnerable to such camouflaged slander and can be misled by advisors they trust. Just turn to Shmuel II chapter 16 and read the story of how Dovid who knew better than anyone else of the great dangers of an evil tongue was himself taken in by Tziva who fabricated a false story about Mefiboshes. If even the greatest of the great can be misled, then we’d all better be very careful and constantly on our guard least we too fall into the same trap.

Some have organized special activities and places for these “at risk kids” to get together under proper supervision, but this is not the real solution. The problem must be addressed long before young people reach the “at risk” stage. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If the money we spent on rehabilitation where to be spent on prevention, we’d get far more for our money, and fewer people who need intensive intervention

It must be clearly noted that despite all that was said, one is required to follow the ruling of our sages even when they say “Right is left and left is right.” Nowadays when there is no Sanhedrin, one must seek a leading posek and follow his ruling on all matters and not go “posek hopping.” This applies not only in the above case but in all other areas as well. There are some disagreements among our leading poskim in Hilchos Shabbos which can be an isur sekilah. One can’t pick and choose stringencies from one or leniencies from another. (Gemora ) The Agudas Yisroel follows the ruling of the Moetzes Gedolai HaTorah. Others can decide on their posek whom they wish to follow. But whoever it is, the p’sak must be followed even if it hurts.

Yes, there are legitimate concerns that must be addressed in order to make sure that concerts are conducted in a true Yiddish atmosphere and flavor. Performers should not be Jewish rock or rap singers and the music should not imitate today’s street hip-hop culture as some performers unfortunately do. Sadly, I’ve gone to frum weddings where the music and dancing felt like one was in a discothèque with only the flashing lights missing. Roshei yeshivas and rabbonim danced in the middle of the circle having no idea as what type of music they were dancing to. I hope no one is going to ban music at weddings because of this, but rather the m’sader kidushin or rabbonim should meet with the band leaders as well as the mechutonim to rectify this outrage. Serious concerns must be discussed between the concert organizers and rabbonim beforehand. Instead of seeking to ban these concerts, we must make sure that they are a kiddush Shem Shomayim. Music has a powerful effect upon the listener and we must ensure that it follows in the footsteps and style of Dovid Hamelech the “n’im zemiros Yisroel,” to whose words our music is often put.

We definitely need our gedolim to guide us, and if we come to them with sincere requests to teach us to run activities al pi Torah, they would respond wisely and constructively. We should no longer leave the field open to those few agitators and connivers who choose to deprive our young people of positive outlets. For if we close the doors to that which is permitted, they’ll unfortunately, soon find other places to fill the void!

© 2007 Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum.

(Thanks for allowing Yeshivaworld to publish this important article.)

Gedolim and the music ban

Yesterday someone got very cross with me and accused me of not listening to the Gedolim. I wanted to use this blog to clarify, to him and to the world, that of course I listen to the Gedolim, and have the utmost respect for them and their Torah knowledge and opinions. I have heard stories and had first hand experiences that leave me in no doubt as to the greatness of the Gedolim.

However, I am equally sure that the banning of the Shwekey/Friend concert did not come from the Gedolim.

I know that the ban did not originate with the Gedolim because the Talmud says many times 'chasa al mamon yisrael'. The Torah always considers money of Israel. If there is a way of permitting something, even b'dieved, it won't be considered forbidden if it would involve great financial loss.

There have been many 'Jewish' concerts in the past, which were similar to the most recent one. If the Gedolim were concerned with this concert, they would have spoken to the organisers and performers from the very beginning, and discussed with them whether there are permissible ways of doing it or not. Had they done that I'm sure that everyone would have complied with their wishes.

However, to ban a concert less than a week before it is scheduled to take place, to cause huge loss to the organisers, performers and ticket holders - that is not the way of the Gedolim. So I am sure the ban did not originate with them.

When a Rabbi issues a p'sak Halacha (unless it is a personal p'sak to an individual, in which case they may or may not) they always explain the reasons and sources for their ruling. This is obviously necessary so that people can understand exactly what is being said, and so that they (or their Rabbis) can study the ruling, to know exactly to whom, when and where it applies. Additionally, a ruling may contradict a different ruling from another Gadol, and my local posek has to be able to evaluate and compare the rulings.

In the case of this ban, the best I could find was:

"We trembled at hearing about the terrible breach in our camp of 'music evenings' and 'concerts' in which musicians sing before men and women sitting together, Heaven forefend, and even not together. All Torah leaders have in the past clearly forbidden these events, even when men and women are separate."

This is not a p'sak Halacha, but a meaningless statement. Nobody even knows why it is forbidden. I have heard at least 4 different possible reasons as to why the concert was forbidden, none of which seem to me to be compelling, but even if they were, how do I know which is the real reason? Perhaps all recorded music is now forbidden? Perhaps wedding bands are now forbidden? Perhaps leaving the Beis Midrash is forbidden? Perhaps all separate sex events are forbidden? I don't know.

It is inconceivable that a Gadol would ban something without saying what they are banning and why. If they don't say what the issue is, how could we follow their ruling to avoid it? We don't know what we are avoiding!

Therefore I am sure that the ban did not come from the Gedolim.

How can it be that people do and say things in the name of the Gedolim? I don't know. In this particular case, though, I don't think the printers even bothered printing the signatures of the Gedolim. They just stated that it came from them. And if they had printed signatures it would not have had any more meaning. Everyone knows that the signatures are on file, and are not a true indication that the document was signed by the Gedolim listed.

If there were such a p'sak it would require another blog to discuss the system of halacha, the limits of lo tassur and the individualistion of halachic ruling. It may or may not apply to the kinds of people who were asking me whether they were permitted to go to the concert or not. But since I am sure that this ruling did not come from the Gedolim I challenge anyone who mocks our Gedolim based on this p'sak.

The Gedolim are the Gedolim and deservedly so. The printers and zealots are just that. There is no obligation to listen to their words. But don't mock the Gedolim.

What's worse than Jewish music?

NOTHING! Not even the original dodgy 70s disco eurovision pop song that it was ripped off from!

[caution: possible kol isha warning! and definite dodgy 70s disco warning!!]



(I know this is old news, but I thought this edit was well done. The only problem is that I have had this tune in my head for the past 24 hours!!!)


On the other hand, if you want some real Jewish music, check out Blog in Dm. A great collection of everything good in the Jewish music scene today. (and Deep Purple's 'Smoke on the Water')

Back to the disco:

Wikipedia know all about them

Dschinghis Khan (Pronounced "Jingis" Khan (IPA pronunciation: 'dʒɪŋ.ɪs kaːn)) was a German pop band, created in 1979 to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. The name of the band was chosen to fit the song of the same name, written and produced by Ralph Siegel with lyrics by Bernd Meinunger.

Appearing at the height of the disco boom and following on the heels of other German-produced bands such as Boney M, Arabesque, and Silver Convention, the band achieved wide popularity throughout the world, especially in Europe, Russia, Australia and Japan, though they went wholly unnoticed in the United States. Their songs invariably were themed on historical figures and exotic cultures and locales.

Though the group broke up in the mid-1980s, it has enjoyed a recent resurgence in popularity on the Internet due to the discovery of a video of them performing their hit song Moskau. The video and the song associated with it have become a popular topic on blogs and can be considered an Internet fad. The specific video was a part of the show "Disco", very popular on ZDF through the 70s.

On Wikipedia they even know the truth about this song:

The Yiddish song on Jerusalem Not For Sale (1986) (with chorus, "Yidden, Yidden") is an adaption of "Dschinghis Khan" (English: Genghis Khan), from the German band Dschinghis Khan.

Grandma Rose's Song

I was introducing the kids to the beauty of Simon and Garfunkel last night (my wife went out, and when she isn't at home who knows what may happen!) We listened to a few songs and then I took out the guitar and we tried to sing a few.
It seems that whenever I ask another Rabbi if it is permitted to listen to non-Jewish music they tell me that if it is Simon and Garfunkel it is OK. Do they not know of any other bands to give as examples? It doesn't really help me because I am far more likely to listen to Whitesnake or Ozzy than some Jewish boys with acoustic guitars.

I remembered that Lazer Beams holds that S&G are really chasidim. Poor things!

Emuna is a bridge that takes you over the troubled waters of this perilous earth, and gets you safely to the other side. Two good Jewish boys, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, are really Breslevers at heart, even though they don't yet know it. Such a beautiful melody could only come from the upper portals. I've often sailed through an hour or more of personal prayer, talking and singing to Hashem with this niggun. Personal prayer takes on a powerful dimension when you set it to music.

But that elicited a strong response from CosmicX:

I am wondering if Lazer Brody is aware to the depths of Tum'ah that Simon and Garfunkel have fallen. Can one oppose the "shame parade" and sing the praises of these assimilated singers at the same time? Is this what Rabbi Brody calls "shmirat habrit"? I personally don't think that Torah Jews should look to ride the backs of Jewish celebrities that have turned their backs on the Jewish people.

Oh well, can't please all the people all of the time. At least W. Axl Rose has never claimed to be Jewish, so we don't have to worry about him turning his back!

All this was brought together in a post from Aish.com written by Peter Himmelman. Not only was he the only frum Jew in the music biz until Matissiyahu came along (and I don't count Shlock Rock), but I believe he is also Bob Dylan's son-in-law. Two good reasons to like him, even if his music is not your cup of tea. Even though the end of the article is a bit too 'they got what they deserved' for my liking, I thought it was a cute piece. Let me know what you think. (It also provided me with an education into what secular American Jews eat! In NZ it was never like that!)

Grandma Rose's Song by Peter Himmelman

When I tell you I used to help my mom stud ham with cloves, don't get the wrong idea.

Our family wasn't assimilated, we just didn't know anything about keeping kosher and besides, we liked ham. Remember, for Jews who don't keep kosher, there exists a kind of "pork/kashrut hierarchy". It goes like this: All Jews eat bacon, especially in BLT's; they're widely thought of as completely kosher. Barbecued spareribs are almost as kosher as bacon, but some feel guilty about eating them and will refrain, (unless the ribs in question are especially well prepared). Most Jews have a problem with ham. However, a ham sandwich is not as bad as when ham constitutes the main dish. Lastly, we come to the issue of pork chops. In the Minneapolis suburb where I grew up, I never met anyone who had even dreamed of eating them...much less preparing them in the home.

Why this is, I have no idea; nonetheless, it's a verifiable fact.

That said, I grew up in a home that was very Jewishly identified. My mother lit Shabbos candles, my father made Kiddush over the Welch's grape juice, and mostly, there was my Grandma Rose.

She came to America from Romania when she was eight years old and though she spoke English well, I personally never heard her use a sentence that didn't contain some Yiddish. And there was the Yiddish song that she used to sing to my siblings and me. A tragic folksong really, composed by a woman whose husband had died of tuberculosis. Grandma Rose learned it while rocking the cradle of the woman's fatherless daughter.

Though the song was born of tragedy, it never stopped my grandma from singing it to us as she tucked us into bed, or bathed us, or served us her noodle kugel.

Growing up, I have to admit, I often took her for granted. But all that changed one afternoon in 1974 when I got the brilliant idea of "borrowing" some plastic tubing and Pyrex beakers from the eighth grade science lab to create the world's most elaborate hookah pipe. Pant-legs bulging with newly liberated science equipment, I passed Grandma Rose in the kitchen as she chopped eggplant and onions.

After spending half an hour in the basement with my new invention, I went back upstairs and found her still busy; humming quietly to herself. I stood in the hallway watching. "Grandma," I finally said, "would you sing that song...the Yiddish one that you always sing? I want to write it down."

From that day forward, those eight familiar stanzas had become much more to me than a quaint old tune. With it, I began to forge a link with a part of myself that had been hidden away. I learned to play it on guitar and later, when my grandma had lapsed into senility, my family called on me to sing it for her -- as if to temporarily pull her back to us. It worked for a while. The song made her sit up straighter. It made her eyes lighten...sometimes she would even mouth the words. At some point though, something pulled her beyond even the reach of that fragile tune.

But music continued to pull at me and one night, years later, I was playing a show in Los Angeles. The record company people were out in force. The talent booker from the Tonight Show was there. And I still don't know why, but in the middle of that set, I stopped the show and quietly sang my Grandma Rose's song.

When I got backstage, my agent and my music attorney, (both Jews of course), were clearly upset. Arms folded across his chest, the attorney spoke first. "Pete, you gotta understand, what you did out there tonight was fine for a JCC, but for the Roxy? C'mon, it was way too Jewish!" My agent was nodding in agreement.

After collecting my thoughts I said, "You fools. If I were a Seminole Indian and I started playin' a song that I learned from my grandma ...about the Great Spirit or whatever, you guys would have been moved to tears. But since you're both so filled with self-loathing, none of the beauty of that song could touch you."

Now I'm not saying that Grandma Rose's song has mystical powers or anything like that... but the end of the story is this: The agent is currently...uh, "between" jobs and the attorney...well, he's grown a long beard and is living with his wife and five kids in the Old City of Jerusalem.