IDF Rabbinate: Soldiers Must Accept Women’s Singing

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idfThe IDF Chief of Staff and the Military Rabbinate will spell out the ground rules regarding the “women’s singing” issue in the coming weeks. Religious soldiers will be allowed to opt out of entertainment ceremonies that involve women’s singing, but will not be allowed to stay out of solemn events like memorial services, even if women sing on stage.

A senior officer in the Rabbinate told Arutz Sheva Sunday that in solemn events it is permissible to be less stringent, from a religious perspective, regarding the halachic issur on men’s listening to women’s singing. This decision, he said, was reached after consultation with “Torah greats” as well as Hesder yeshiva rabbis.

There is no “clear cut”  halachic issur on listening to women’s singing, he explained. Therefore it is permitted to show some laxity on the matter, because of “the sensitive situation” in the IDF. In addition, a “train” of soldiers who leave in the course of the ceremony might offend bereaved families. Another reason he cited was the need to maintain “the cohesion and camaraderie of the unit’s soldiers.”

On the other hand, the senior source said, soldiers will not need their commanding officer’s consent to opt out of recreational and entertainment events that include women’s singing. They will only need to inform the commander that they cannot participate because of Halakhic problems and can expect full backing from the Rabbinate.

The Hesder students who said that they do not intend to enlist to the IDF, the source said, “are youths with no sense of proportion who do not understand what a time of war is, and what proper integration is. This entire affair is a tempest in a teacup. The military is very much in tune and sensitive [to religious soldiers].”

Read more at Arutz Sheva.

{Arutz Sheva/Matzav.com Newscenter}


17 COMMENTS

  1. ‘There is no “clear cut” halachic issur on listening to women’s singing …’

    The Gemara in Kiddushin and Brachos states explicitly, with no ifs and buts that kol isha is ervah. Therefore, is assur.

  2. In addition, a “train” of soldiers who leave in the course of the ceremony might offend bereaved families. How about not singing in the first place and voillaa – no train of soldiers leaving. Brilliant !!

  3. “There is no “clear cut” halachic issur on listening to women’s singing” – how about the clear-cut halacha of ??? ???? ???? ?

  4. and another one: “…are youths with no sense of proportion who do not understand what a time of war is” – if it’s such a time of war as you say, why do you care so much that ladies sing? forget the singing, and get on with the battle

  5. There is a clear sensitivity to this issue, so we do have an obligation to consider of course this situation in our defense services.

  6. To: “trying to understand”

    Try to understand that in a time of war r”l, we need all the zchusim we can get. All the more reason to elevate the kedusha of am yisroel. On the other hand, if you believe only in “kochi v’otzem yadi”, then of course it doesn’t matter. What’s really mind boggling here is that in these times when klal yisroel is in such peril with 70 wolves surronding 1 sheep, all the zionists are concerned with is kol isha…

  7. There are heterim regarding the type of songs sung at ceremonies (Seridei Esh 2:8, Sedeh Chemed Klalim Maarechet HaKuf 42). For a comprehensive and balanced article see http://www.jewishideas.org/articles/new-hearing-kol-ishah.

    I think it should also be added that no amn ever acted at a concert by a female singer even closely to the manner in which people acted at concerts of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and the Beatles. Food for thought.

  8. Come on – just stick your earplugs in your pocket, and when the lady steps up to the microphone, stick the earplugs in your ears and look at your feet.

    Let’s look for solutions, not fights. The exemption from entertainment events is good enough.

  9. Avi:

    It is true that there may be heterim upon which one can rely, the current accepted view, at least by haredi jewry, is not to rely upon such heterim. It is wrong to impose this view on people who rely on the majority of current poskim who disallow this behavior.

  10. not clear cut lt sounds to me like amolek creating sfeikus you hear this a lot from the borderline apikursim there is a different shita

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