Q&A: The Prohibition of Listening to Idolatrous Music
The Prohibition of Listening to Idolatrous Music
Question
I wanted to ask regarding the prohibition of listening to idolatrous music: is it forbidden even when one does not understand the words? Is it forbidden even in instrumental performances?
Answer
One should distinguish between a melody that is currently being played for idolatry, in which case it is forbidden to derive benefit from it, just like the fragrance of idolatry, and a melody that was originally composed for idolatry but is now being played simply for its beauty. Here, in my view, there is room to permit it, although it is not entirely clean-cut (because it still in some sense praises and elevates idolatry). But nowadays people no longer relate to the melody’s source, only to the melody itself (as with Christmas celebrations, which today are not regarded as a religious holiday), and therefore it should be permitted.
This is discussed in Igrot Moshe, Yoreh De'ah, vol. 2, no. 111. It is very worthwhile to look there.
And see also Chevel Nachalato 9:5 (available online).
See on this in the responsa Kerach Shel Romi, no. 1, by the rabbi of Rome, Rabbi Israel Moshe Hazan, who permitted the use of tunes from church music in prayer and even encouraged it. He brought an interesting testimony from his hometown, Izmir in Turkey, a great Jewish city that produced famous Torah scholars, where the paytanim, according to his testimony, would hide behind the Greek churches in the city and copy their tunes for our prayers, and the rabbis of Izmir did not protest this.
Rabbi Ovadia relied on this responsum, but in contrast, Tzitz Eliezer (Tzitz Eliezer 13, no. 12) attacked the responsum of Kerach Shel Romi very sharply, and over the course of a page and a half expressed his shock at these remarks.
Very worthwhile to look into it.