Q&A: Music During the Nine Days
Music During the Nine Days
Question
What is the Rabbi’s view on listening to ordinary music (not especially joyful) during the Nine Days? Has the attitude toward music as something festive or expressive of joy changed since the period of the Sages? (Assuming that’s the basis of the prohibition…?) It’s just that if the issue is joy, then it feels like many things that are seen today as just as enjoyable as ordinary music are permitted (like just watching a random movie, for example).
Answer
I think music is prohibited by a clear custom, and some have connected this to the law itself (that because of the destruction, playing music was prohibited altogether). Therefore, perhaps one can be lenient when hearing a song incidentally (within a news program), but not to focus on listening to music, unless it contains no joy at all (like classical music). As for other enjoyable things, there is some reason to avoid them, but that is not really required by the letter of the law.
Discussion on Answer
No connection at all to the words. “A Lone Lantern” is a very good example of non-joyful music.
Does music with no joy at all specifically mean music without words? (Like classical music.) Or would music with words, but say dealing with sad things / just the poet’s thoughts (for example, “A Lone Lantern”…) also be permitted?