Is it proper to listen to a cappella music during Sefiras Ha’Omer?
The real question is: why would it not be proper to listen to such music during the Sefirah period? Although the Talmud (Yevamot 62b) reports a tradition that 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva died between Pesach and Lag Ba’Omer, no formal mourning prohibitions are indicated for this period. Sefirah mourning practices are first reported in a Gaonic collection, Sha’arei Teshuva 278. The Shulchan Aruch (O.H. 493: 1-2) refers to the customs of restricting weddings and haircuts, but mentions no prohibition relating to music.
It seems that restrictions relating to music only developed in the Middle Ages, and not consistently throughout the Jewish world. In recent centuries, various stringencies have been added including the limitation of dancing, music, and even recorded music. Some now also wish to prohibit a cappella music. These prohibitions do not go back to the Talmud, Rambam or Shulchan Aruch. If people wish to adopt these stringencies, or if they are part of communities that consider these stringencies as obligatory minhagim, then that is their right.
But there is no fundamental halachic prohibition to listening to music, let alone a cappella music, unless one has adopted this stringency as a minhag; or unless one follows poskim who rule stringently on this.
– Rabbi Marc D. Angel is director of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals.
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Here, as in other areas of halacha, intention matters most.
The days of the omer are designed to remove us from our normal routines, and even some mundane pleasures, in order reflect on and feel the sadness of the deaths of Rabbi Akiva’s disciples “who did not properly respect each other.” In essence, abstention from music – at home, in the car, and certainly at semachot – compels us to dwell on the reasons for this abstention and thus reflect on potential shortcomings in the way we treat others and how to rectify them.
Nevertheless, the standard prohibition emphasizes the prohibition of instrumental music (klei zemer). It is permitted for a person to sing during the omer, which is not essentially different from several people singing together. Thus, many poskim are lenient in general regarding a cappella and certainly on Shabbat (at a bar mitzvah, for example) in order to enhance the simchah. Again, this type of singing is not different in kind from people singing zemirot, and such is permitted during the omer.
It is logical, though, to limit such singing to a simchah as opposed to, say, attending an a cappella concert. Such public entertainment is similar to what people do during the rest of the year and thus completely undermines, and even vitiates, the mourning of the omer period. The more we feel the melancholy of this time of year, the more we will contemplate how to reverse the trends of disrespect, insolence and intolerance that often seeps into our communities.
It is thus worthwhile to forego any type of music that brings us joy and distracts from the main focus of the season even though, in principle, a capella music can be justified.
– Rav Steven Pruzansky is rabbi emeritus of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun of Teaneck, N.J., and author of the new “Road to Redemption,” now available at Kodeshpress.com
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There is a difference of halachic opinions concerning this issue. In my opinion, since the prohibition of listening to music during the omer is to limit one’s joy during this time of mourning – the effect the music has is the main concern and not its actual source. Therefore, although there are those that prohibit even pure vocal singing if heard from a recording – since its source is now an instrument – it appears to me that if vocal singing is not considered significant to induce joy, then surely not if heard through a recorder. Conversely, if vocal music sounds like musical instruments the prohibition would apply despite the fact that its source is actually artificial: the effect is the same.
Therefore, in Moshav Matityahu we prohibit a cappella music that contains vocal sounds that mimic musical instruments but permit purely vocal songs or vocal recordings. Preferably of songs that do not accompany dancing but are more somber.
– Rabbi Zev Leff is rav of Moshav Matisyahu and a popular lecturer and educator.
