A musician who belives the world is older than 6000 years, even if their voice is not heard, but they play instruments in a band, that band is retroactively posul, even if thier words are Kosher.
I was recently asked that with all this concern of having only certified music, phones and even food it is time that someone implement the radical idea that rabbis also need to be certified as appropriate experts on Judaism.
A related idea is certifying rabbis in various specialties, e.g., medical ethics, shchita, taharas mishpacha, etc. The two other "learned professions", medicine and law, saw the need to do this years ago. Particularly when a speedy decision is required, the average citizen of klal Yisroel needs a handy address to go to.
Eddie - did you actually read the clallim that were posted? The English version said nothing about what was required to be in a musician's head space in order for his music to be Kosher.
Honestly, I'm neither suprised nor perturbed that this Vaad now exists to be machshir music. In theory, it makes perfect sense. (I won't dwell on the question of whether, in practice, this is a forum for purported rabbinical power plays and corruption. I leave it to others to decide whether to go there.)
I experience music in three different ways (and I suspect a lot of other people out there experience music just like me) - through my intellect, through its impact on my emotions, and through its raw physical impact on my body. Music for the head, heart, and "kidneys" as it were.
From what I understand, there are many seforim and shitas out there (Mesilas Yesharim being a well known example) that frame the essential avodah of yiddishkeit / yahadut as man's using Torah as a means to refine and strengthen his intellect and self-control to reign supreme over his emotions and desires. In this scheme, all human experiences and pleasures should be of the sort that promotes this avodah; detrimental experiences and pleasures should ideally be avoided and quarantined. Music is one such pleasure, and for some of us, a huge one. For me, the right music can be transformative and transcendant; I can sometimes forget myself listening to the right stuff at the right time.
It is precisely that power to transport and transcend that has the potential to threaten the essential avodah. At it's worst, music can be nothing more than a highly addictive drug.
I would be the first to admit that my iTunes library contains a large amount of music from many genres--classical, jazz, rock, electronic, punk, or combinations thereof--none of which this vaad would ever approve. I recognize that in order for me to reach full tzidkus, much if not all of that stuff would have to go. I also recognize that I'm not presently in a spiritual place where that's a viable option. Nonetheless, I approve in theory of the existence of this vaad, and I don't think that my approval is hypocritical on my part.
A musician who belives the world is older than 6000 years, even if their voice is not heard, but they play instruments in a band, that band is retroactively posul, even if thier words are Kosher.
ReplyDeleteI was recently asked that with all this concern of having only certified music, phones and even food it is time that someone implement the radical idea that rabbis also need to be certified as appropriate experts on Judaism.
ReplyDeleteSemicha is a rather poor criterion
A related idea is certifying rabbis in various specialties, e.g., medical ethics, shchita, taharas mishpacha, etc. The two other "learned professions", medicine and law, saw the need to do this years ago. Particularly when a speedy decision is required, the average citizen of klal Yisroel needs a handy address to go to.
ReplyDeleteEddie - did you actually read the clallim that were posted? The English version said nothing about what was required to be in a musician's head space in order for his music to be Kosher.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I'm neither suprised nor perturbed that this Vaad now exists to be machshir music. In theory, it makes perfect sense. (I won't dwell on the question of whether, in practice, this is a forum for purported rabbinical power plays and corruption. I leave it to others to decide whether to go there.)
I experience music in three different ways (and I suspect a lot of other people out there experience music just like me) - through my intellect, through its impact on my emotions, and through its raw physical impact on my body. Music for the head, heart, and "kidneys" as it were.
From what I understand, there are many seforim and shitas out there (Mesilas Yesharim being a well known example) that frame the essential avodah of yiddishkeit / yahadut as man's using Torah as a means to refine and strengthen his intellect and self-control to reign supreme over his emotions and desires. In this scheme, all human experiences and pleasures should be of the sort that promotes this avodah; detrimental experiences and pleasures should ideally be avoided and quarantined. Music is one such pleasure, and for some of us, a huge one. For me, the right music can be transformative and transcendant; I can sometimes forget myself listening to the right stuff at the right time.
It is precisely that power to transport and transcend that has the potential to threaten the essential avodah. At it's worst, music can be nothing more than a highly addictive drug.
I would be the first to admit that my iTunes library contains a large amount of music from many genres--classical, jazz, rock, electronic, punk, or combinations thereof--none of which this vaad would ever approve. I recognize that in order for me to reach full tzidkus, much if not all of that stuff would have to go. I also recognize that I'm not presently in a spiritual place where that's a viable option. Nonetheless, I approve in theory of the existence of this vaad, and I don't think that my approval is hypocritical on my part.
Good Shabbos!
Certified music?! Has Orthodox Judaism gone off the deep end? This is getting ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteNew genres of Jewish music are born
ReplyDeleteGeshochten
Getreybet
Farsaltzed
Farsumped, and
Farfoilt
I'm just waiting for the audio device that will post-kasher music by removing frequencies and instruments etc