From Our Archives: Music During Sefirah
April 7, 2010 by Shlomo Brody
Filed under From Our Archives, New Posts
In 2008, Rabbi Moshe Bleich published in Tradition (41:1) a survey of halakhic positions regarding listening to music during the period of Sefirat ha-Omer (and the three weeks), which led to further correspondence between him and Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot regarding Rabbi Soloveitchik’s opinion.
In addition to the positions cited in the article, one should add the recently published teshuva (Siach Nachum #35) of Rabbi Nachum Eliezer Rabinovitch, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Hesder Ma’ale Adumim, in which he rules that one is only forbidden from simchah shel rikkudim (dance festivities) during Sefirat Ha-Omer, and further allows listening to muzikah retzinit (serious music, apparently as opposed to rock music and their Jewish imitations) during the 3 weeks.
See also this article (21:4, Fall 1985) by Rabbi J. David Bleich, which includes a section on Sefirat Ha-Omer and Shavuot for travellers crossing the international date line. For a brief survey of the general issues regarding the international date line, see my short article in the Jerusalem Post.
- Shlomo Brody
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