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Is there really anything wrong with listening to non-Jewish music regardless of content? People say that listening to Jewish music is always better, but I find classical music to be far more appropriate than certain modern Jewish songs.
That’s a very good point. I have a sibling who listens to classical music all the time. She says that certain composers are worse than others.
I personally find that Wagner, for example, often sounds destructive and crazy, whereas Haydn or Mozart are more uplifting. But maybe I’m wrong.
Whamp bhomp a loo bhomp, b’lamp bamp boom. Tooty fruity.
What you are thinking about when you compose a song is brought into the song, I have to admit, most classical music is O.K….who says otherwise? But it’s true music goes into your soul, it;s like your soul and the composers connect, so let’s say the composer was writing that for some girl friend or something…it goes into the song, and you will feel is, consciously or unconsciously.
I am unaware of any “Jewish music” that exists today that does not use the style of some “non-Jewish music” with the possible exception of the serial atonal music developed initially by Arnold Schoenberg. And Schoenberg himself insisted that it was a natural outgrowth of the music of Johannes Brahms, a non-Jew who did not practice any religion.
“I find classical music to be far more appropriate than certain modern Jewish songs”
Rav Soloveitchik z’tz’l and Rav Hutner z’tz’l would attend the opera together when they were students in Berlin.
Schoenberg himself insisted that it was a natural outgrowth of the music of Johannes Brahms, a non-Jew who did not practice any religion.
While Johannes Brahms himself did not practice any religion, much of his work has Lutheran influences.
(Rav Hutner did not attend opera shows after he became Rav Hutner.)
Regardless, you are really asking two questions, and they don’t really impact each other. One question is if today’s “Jewish music” is really “Jewish”? The other question is if classical music is permitted.
Halachic inquiries must be directed to legitimate halachic deciders, like a Rav/Rebbi with a real mesorah…
But it would be foolish to underestimate the awesome power and soul language of music.
Repost from 3 months ago:
Seeing how much attention YWN gave to one “Kanye West” when he did Teshuva after saying Jews have all the “connections”,
Kanye West Admits Jew Comment Was An ‘Ignorant Compliment’ He Wants To Take Back
Is his music now “Jewish”? 🙂
Does doing a cover of “Genghis Khan” (as well as many others, see Wikipedia) make that singer’s music non-Jewish? How about Bob Dylan? The Beastie Bochrim? The Bach? (I challenge anyone here to say the Bach wasn’t Kosher) (as I am listening to Das Wohltemperierte Klavier). Louie Armstrong singing about Shadrach? Shackles (Praise You) by Mary Mary? Black Hattitude?
I have to agree with Oomis here. Whatever brings you closer to Hashem within the realm of Halacha is “Jewish”, no matter who sings it.
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/jewish-music-mah-zeh#post-508560
Rabbi Y.Y Rubinstein has a fascinating lecture on this topic-you can find it on torahanytime.com
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