Q&A: Songs
Songs
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I’d be glad to hear what songs/music the Rabbi likes to listen to,
and whether in the Rabbi’s opinion there are styles of music that it is or isn’t worthwhile to listen to.
(I apologize if the question is a bit unrelated, but in my humble opinion it can teach a lot.)
Answer
It’s a matter of taste. I don’t think there are rules about it. I also don’t think it teaches all that much.
Discussion on Answer
For those driven by curiosity: I like old Hebrew songs (not very old) and jazz.
What?! Fascist songs that inflame nationalist urges?! 🙂
A person comes to appreciate an intellectual personality.
And then he discovers he’s a jazz fan.
🙁
Jazz, which is Afro-American music, balances out and atones for the fondness for national Hebrew music; nationalism and universalism come together as one. At any rate, we were calmed to hear that Rabbi Michael Abraham is not among the fans of Hasidic music!
Best regards, Y.R. (Ishay Ribo? / Yonatan Razel?)
Though one could say that jazz too is national Hebrew music, for the verse explicitly says, “Are you not like the children of Cush to Me,” but Rabbi Michael Abraham follows his own approach that one does not derive conclusions from verses 🙂
What is the Jewish law regarding lustful songs nowadays?
Actually, Ishay Ribo is excellent in my opinion. We were talking about genres, not specific songs or singers.
It depends on what you call lustful songs. Songs that arouse forbidden thoughts are certainly forbidden.
Is the Rabbi a fan of acid jazz?
I don’t know what that is.
I’m joining the question too, just out of curiosity.