Shlomo Carlbach

Igros Moshe (E H I #96) Question A person who had been viewed as a ben Torah for many years who is a musician who has composed songs based on holy verses for weddings and these songs are commonly sung  by religious Jews at simchos of mitzva but now bad rumors are spreading  saying that he sings before mixed audiences of unmarried men and women. Is it now permitted to continue to sing the  songs that he composed when he was viewed as a good Jew? Answer In my humble opinion, I don’t see that there is anything prohibited in this since they were clearly composed when he was considered a good Jew. Proof supporting this is we find that the decrees made by the high priest Yochanan that are said in his name is said by some to be the one described as faithfully serving this position for 80 years and then becoming a heretic. Even after he became a wicked sinner, his decrees that he had made as a good Jew were not invalidated and were still ascribed to him. We find something similar with Elisha ben Abuya. It would seem that the only reason to prohibit is the Rambam’s ruling that a sefer Torah that was written by a heretic should be burned in order not to have a monument to the heretic. However that clearly refers to a Torah written by a heretic but if he wrote it as a good Jew it is not burned.  Consequently those songs written when he was a good Jew there is no reason to prohibit them now even for bnei Torah and baalei nefesh there is no reason to be strict .Furthermore I am even uncertain about the songs that were composed after his reputation became bad, whether these are prohibited if there is nothing objectionable in their content. It would seem that only holy things such as a sefer Torah are prohibited. It is obviously permitted to use and call medical treatments or machines by the name of their inventor  even if he is a heretic. So it seems it is only an issue for holy things to be associated with a heretic but not secular things. Songs are viewed as secular things since they are not inherently holy. Consequently even those songs he wrote after his reputation became bad, I am inclined to say they are also not forbidden to sing but nevertheless not by bnei Torah or baalei nefesh. In addition the bad rumors are not that he is a heretic but are issues of levity and relaxed standards of modesty in that he is singing to a mixed audience of young men and ladies  For such there is no obligation to avoid leaving a monument to him in fact if he wrote a sefer Torah it would be valid and surely the songs he composed. In sum there is no need to be strict in this case even for bnei Torah and baalei nefesh. If in fact the rumors are also about heresy than the distinction as to when the songs were composed applies and the eaely songs there is no reason at all to be strict while the more recent compositions are not reasonably considered prohibited since they are not holy like a Torah however in the latter case bnei Torah and baalei nefesh  it is best to be strict. 

I had two encounters with him. The first was at a Chanukah party made by his devoted followers. One of them was a young lady that someone suggested as a shidduch for me .  She had introduced me to him as a student of Rabbi Freifeld. At the end he went around the room giving a hug o everyone including the young ladies. When he attempted to hug my date I objected that he shouldn’t do it. He replied casually “but Rabbi Freifeld knows about this.” With the clear implication that he was defending himself by claiming that Rabbi Freifeld approved this behavior. Later I had a chance to meet with Rabbi Freifeld and I told him what happened. His sole response to me was that I had done the right thing. 

The second occurred in Toronto airport when I went in a failed effort to raise money for my index to the Mishneh Berura that I was working on after I published Yad Moshe to the Igros Moshe. As I got off the plane I heard people shouting and I found that he had also been on that flight.  We ended up standing together in line for customs. I mentioned to him that there was a tshuva in the Igros about him. He first became very agitated and replied that he knew about it. Then he added that he was on very good terms with Rav Moshe and that Rav Moshe liked him.  He was clearly being defensive. 

In sum, the above tshuva did not address his problematic behavior nor did Rav Moshe seem to be well informed. On the other hand my observation is that he himself realized that his behavior was problematic and crossed too many red lines. 

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