Dear Matzav Inbox,
As we make our way through the month of Elul and get ready for the Yomim Noraim, I have to ask, and forgive me please for doing so: Is it really the right way to spend our time during this holy season by going to a mixed seating concert in New York City? Is this what Elul is all about? Spending the night in MSG?
Elul is a time for serious introspection. It’s the time we should be focusing on our relationship with Hashem, reflecting on our deeds, and preparing ourselves for the yemei hakadosh. Instead, we see people choosing to spend their night at a mixed concert.
I am not a kanna’i. Really not. I’m a regular normal guy. But still, something doesn’t sit right with me: How does attending such an event align with the spirit of Elul? When we’re supposed to be deeply involved in improving ourselves and coming closer to Hashem, how can we justify participating in entertainment like this? Does it bother no one but me?
Let’s not fool ourselves. The way we spend our time during Elul affects our readiness for the Yomim Noraim. We need to be honest with ourselves and recognize that these choices matter. Instead of filling our time with who knows what, we should focus on what really matters, strengthening our kesher to Hashem and preparing ourselves for the Yomim Noraim.
At least that’s what I think.
We should use this precious time wisely and stay true to the spirit of Elul.
Wishing all your readers a kesivah v’chasimah tovah.
Sincerely,
P. M.
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Elul – the official month of kvetching. Lets find more issues to argue over and nitpick on. (i’ll start)
Certainly better than the age-gap hoax that a few desperate lemechels have promulgated as an excuse to shake down some gullible foolish gevirim for a few dollars.
They say that there are ppl who are uplifted from it.
But that doesn’t make it right for a frum person to make such a concert
Since we know there will be plenty of ppl attending who don’t belong there as mentioned in the opinion piece
You’re correct, but not only during Elul.
That’s why you didn’t go and that’s why I wouldn’t go either, even if his “music” appealed to me (it doesn’t).
The same people crying about this concert having mixed seating, go with their own families to more heimishe concerts on chol hamoed that have “family seating”. Stop clowning. You are guilty of what you are charging your brother with.
They are sitting next to their family, here you had separate seating AVAILABLE
Really, really not.
the only time I have ever been to a concert is when…. wait, I’ve never been to a concert.
(and this is after being offered free tickets to a well known concert with “family seating” and the tickets were for the separate seating area. But a Ben Torah doesn’t go there.)
the same way that people go to a kumzitz slichos. If you find the concert distasteful during Elul than you should have the same problem with the Kumzitz. I personally, have a bigger problem with the Kumzitz slichos than with the concert. The avodah of Elul is to try and get closer to Hashem in whatever way you can. with many people its thru hartzige melodies with meaningful words. Slichos, on the other hand is about saying the slichos with meaning and feeling and with a feeling of remorse.
You will come before the Yom Hadin with having tampered with his parnassah on your scorecard.
Stay home , just like I am staying home. But be careful with his livelihood.
This was Rav Steinmans reaction to a similar effort based on morality.
you are a fool if he didn’t have this concert he’d have plenty if oarnassah this concert wasn’t to pay his bills thus was to get wealthy.
And shame on the concert people for being machshil the tzibbur and creating a nisayin for many that they could not overcome. It was a chillul Shem shamanism in a grand scale
Whatever hashem wanted him to make from the concert is his parnassah, Not how much you decided.
I watched a video right here on this website of R Ahron Leib reacting the same when they tried to get him to ban different singer from an Israeli concert in Caseria . his first words ( in Yidish) , what will be with his livelihood.
Very dangerous to mess with another’s income Even if you think its more then he should have.
Tampering with his parnassah sounds like he can’t pay his bills. If he can pay his bills ten times over that’s not called tampering with his parnassah.
when ppl refer to oarnassah they are talking about the ability to support oneself and a family. if hashem wants him to have ten million dollars it is not called tampering with one’s parnassah
Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.
How many divorces from your shidduchim?
To my knowledge none.
One had challenges the first year. I got them back on track. I also bought them HASC concert tickets and told them to enjoy an evening together. This also helped.
IMO some people may want to sit with their families, have you thought about that? And if you dont aggree with the seating arraingments than dont go to the concert.
And others want to sit next to girls. And they did.
i love how these guys write “if you have a problem, dont go” um, he DIDNT go!
And yes, he has a problem with it because he believes it to be a subpar ideal being touted and normalized.
Just like you would have an issue if there was a drug fest being held at a venue near you. Even though you can surely simply not go. No?
I think it depends on the person. If the individual is struggling to find some inspiration to motivate him to change something in his middos or in his shmiras halacha and he feels that a concert will generate the inspiration he needs to make a commitment for Rosh Hashana, I don’t see why he shouldn’t go. However, he should find a seat in the men’s section only.
Frauds this is click bate after matzav advertised it now they need more hits for the JCN gelt
You can leave out your personal opinion on his music – that is lashon hara as theres no toeles in that at all.
You should leave out your personal opinion on his music- since its negative it is lashon hara with no toeles
when u view the entire event , its context & message , and considering the specific groups of yidden that are the bulk of the audience its a very positive evening and should be viewed as negina & teshuva reaching yidden trying to hold on
introspection – yes look deep inside yourself!!
You are correct . Ellul is a time for introspection.
Of yourself!
Have you finished already and ready to inspect others?
Yes. Spot on
Seriously. It makes me mad how narrow minded some frum people can be. Not everyone has to be frum like you. enough with this holier than thou attitude. Everyone has their own hashkafa and own standards. Let them be the decider of what is appropriate for them or not. Them and their rav. Leave us alone Also, and I’ll end with this, you can think something is inappropriate or not the type. Keep it to yourself. You have no chiyuv to publicly bash a frum singer and 15000 other Jews.
Sir it is inappropriate it go to a mixed concert during Elul I hate to break it to you. It’s not my Rav your Rav.
4:07
Only during Elul its inappropriate and the rest of the year it is appropriate?? You are so farkrumpt.
If it’s inappropriate, it’s inappropriate whichever time of year. Not more so during Elul.
It’s inappropriate the whole year and one should certainly not do inappropriate things in Elul,we are more careful in Elul
During the rest of the year its okay?
Just not to MSG and Ishay Ribo?
As long as its a more heimesh singer that dresses and talks and looks like you AND calls it “family seating”??
Be real.
Just because its not for you, does not give you reshus to be a clown
wrong. as a non religious jew, who despises religion because of all the fraudsters it has, i contend that it is SPECIFICALLY those that adhere to stringencies who are actually following the True context. while yourself and those like you have been excusing your lack of adherence by besmirching others.
If you have a hard time with religion, admit it. Dont ridicule those who actually do their best to follow it. Hypocrite.
Do you also despise breathing because bad people breathe?
Isn’t his target audience mainly the people who don’t know/care about this and/or mitzvos in general? If that is the case, if he could bring some hisorerous maybe it is worth it?
But sometimes actually thousands of times non target ppl also go, for them it us a prime time aveira
If you were there ,you shouldn’t have an opinion,I was there and it was one of the most uplifting ,inspirational experiences of my life.It was a tfeliah with 15k people.
Besides the girls was there anyone there that did not have a blue string coming out of their pants
Since when does Mr P.M. have a monopoly on what Elul means for the entire klal yisroel
I was raised that there are Shivim Panim La’torah and there are Twelve Shvatim, not one
No one is forcing you to attend this concert, but apparently there are others who find this uplifting and introspective
Why the need to bash them ? Do you really believe that Hashem is now proud of you for bashing his other children ????
Lol, there may be SHivah Panim L’torah, but there is one shulchan aruch.
Shiva panim doesn’t mean every halachic question has 70 right answers
Your post is typical of the type of ppl that went to this party
P.M. – you are 100% correct and most people will agree with you.. in fact that’s why I stopped going to concerts decades ago and its not just during Elul but anytime of the year and by the way it’s not just the mixed seating that is an issue but the coming and the hanging around
the lobby areas and the waiting on line and the going- it all involves תערובת.
Incidently I remember decades ago when I had wanted to go to a concert – it was probably 38 years ago when I was learning in a yeshiva in London and MBD was giving a concert and I desperately wanted to go and so I asked a very chosheve Rosh Yeshiva in the UK if I was allowed go to a concert (it was somewhat mixed seating as i found out later) His reply made a רושם on me to this day. It was in Yiddish and he said “I don’t know if you are NOT ALLOWED to go but you definitely don’t NEED to go, and so if you dont need to go, better don’t go”.
But to your letter- sadly your’e not going to change any minds….many people will agree with you and many will shred you to pieces…
In the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, the standard practice
in the world of Orthodox Judaism was MIXED SEATING
at weddings — which often led to even more
weddings in the world of Orthodox Judaism,
because Orthodox Jewish singles met each other at weddings.
Then everyone decided to mindlessly imitate Chassidim.
This led to fewer weddings in the world of Orthodox Judaism,
because Orthodox singles no longer met each other at weddings.
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein ZTL ZYA poskined that men and women
are permitted to sit next to each other on NYC trains and buses.
Permitted does not mean you are supposed to aka lechatchila and if it was an orthodox train for orthodox ppl he would not say they should sit next to each other when they can be separate.
Here you have an orthodox concert for orthodox ppl (smack in middle of Elul) and you should NOT have men sitting next to women
in the 40s etc, the standard practice was not torah true judiasm, more like a Shmear of Jew-ish-ness on a bagel than a MO.
Dont kid yourself.
The writer is correct.
It all boils down to standards, which continue to go down year after year after year….
Kudos to the writer to get up and say “hey, this is not right!” so our children will not think this is normal.
כתיבה וחתימה טובה to all.
Let me tell you a secret,
You are a kanoy. Yes you are.
Don’t let the voice trick you into thinking you’re not. You are.
Anyone who has a modicum of standards and voices them is a Kanoi?
Why? Mixed seating at a concert is probably kalus rosh of arayos.
Thats great! Its a good thing to be a Kanoi! that means he actually cares about what the torah demands of us, as opposed to the transFrums.
Mixed searing other that in shule is not a violation of Halacha. It is mainly a Chassidish influence.
Rav Dovid Feinstein had mechutan in Breuers who would invite him to their dinner. RD would say that he looked forward to sitting with his wife!
Many people , believe it or not, enjoy a night out with their spouse , especially if they find the concert inspiring.
If you choose to follow a different standard, do so .
But don’t criticize others and you have no right to present it as a gross violation of halacha/ tznius.
Get a life.
I have no doubt that the opinion writer would also protest the girls who danced in front of the bochrim on Tu B’av……
If you cannot sit next to a girl without having inappropriate thoughts, then the issue is you and not the concert
Can people do his/her own introspection, meditation and teshuva without looking at somebody else ? It’s Elul and the first thing we do is stare at others. Can we stop this already ? Don’t look at the other guy’s aveiros. Look at yours first !
Dear Matzav Inbox,
As we make our way through the month of Elul and get ready for the Yomim Noraim, I have to ask, and forgive me please for doing so: Is it really the right way to spend our time during this holy season by writing a letter to the Matzav Inbox Is this what Elul is all about? Spending time writing a letter to the editor?
Elul is a time for serious introspection. It’s the time we should be focusing on OUR relationship with Hashem, reflecting on OUR deeds, and preparing OURselves for the yemei hakadosh. Instead, we see people choosing to spend their time writing letters.
I am not a kanna’i. Really not. I’m a regular normal guy. But still, something doesn’t sit right with me: How does spending time doing such a thing align with the spirit of Elul? When we’re supposed to be deeply involved in improving OURselves and coming closer to Hashem, how can we justify judging others like this? Does it bother no one but me?
Let’s not fool ourselves. The way we spend our time during Elul affects our readiness for the Yomim Noraim. We need to be honest with ourselves and recognize that these choices matter. Instead of filling our time with who knows what, we should focus on what really matters, strengthening our kesher to Hashem and preparing ourselves for the Yomim Noraim.
At least that’s what I think.
We should use this precious time wisely and stay true to the spirit of Elul.
Wishing all your readers a kesivah v’chasimah tovah.
Sincerely,
Regina Phalange
Git gezugt!
Just curious why everyone feels the need to constantly “knock” the one who writes in.
It’s a good thing there are no neviiem nowadays because everyone would just comment like the aforementioned.
You can admit that sometimes other people are right even though they are saying something you don’t want to hear.
Come on if WE all knew the seriousness of the month we wouldn’t be so quick to hurt others.
He just stated his opnion….
Remmeber the gedolim that would shake when they heard “Elul”…
I don’t think Matzav is the place to make such a mecha. If you don’t approve of it don’t go.
I was worried about the letter writer after reading it. His perfection in his avodas hashem, his keeping all the mitzvos with all their chumros, his meticulous ability to stay far from aveiros might absolve him from any introspection and need for teshuvah. in his perfection, he might not even need yom Kippur. Fortunately he can now do teshuvah for his lack of bein adam l’chaveiro. With such a tzaddik in our midst I’m truly astonished that we were not yet zoche to the coming of moshiach.
All I CAN SAY IS ”MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS”
The letter writer is, of course, right, and all the laitzanim knocking him are wrong (and pathetic). If there is even a heter for this, which I don’t believe there is, it might be appropriate for someone not yet frum, for the inspiration they could gain. But this is not for frum Jews, of course.
Bs”d
If you look at the clip of Ishay Ribo’s concert last year, you can see that he is singing in front of a whole block of male- only seating. Perhaps the mixed seating was for families. I don’t know because my family and I don’t go to concerts . The Mishnah Brurah 224:3 says that the Bach suggests it is not appropriate to attend theaters, as it is a place of scoffers, and we should always be reminded of the churban and not be too exuberant, even at a chasunah.
In the shir hamaalos before bentching, it says that, when Moshiach comes etc, THEN our mouths will be filled with laughter. ( I am giving loose translations of these texts.)
However, frum “pop”concerts were approved about 35 or more years ago, by certain Rabbonim, because they felt that certain types of frum youth needed an outlet, and this would pevent them from going to goyisher concerts. So a whole profession of popular performers who gave concerts, sprang up, until today, when it is common practice.
Therefore, for those who feel they need such an outlet, even in Elul, Ishay Ribo and people like him, provide this enjoyable outlet. I , for one, enjoy his music very much, and now that there is a channel on YouTube that translates his lyrics into English, I have seen that the words are very uplifting.
Kasivah v’chasimah toivah to all klal yisroel.