Well, if I can't seduce men with my singing, then what's the point of singing at all? Isn't that why women sing? To entice men, and lead them into a life of sin and fornication??? Geez Rabbi, give us a break!

Dear Brittney just in case your really desperate and want to do a concert here in Israel, here are a few guidelines for you: Please cover up completely from the ankle to the neck , i black woolly hat would all so be appropriate. No slutty makeup. DO not look at a religious man under any circumstances while you're singing as apparently they cant control themselves. And please watch your body language no how can i put it "thrusting movements" and defiantly no lesbian kisses on stage ok> And keep that snake well out of it,although you are permitted to swing a chicken around your head apparently . and please make sure those male dancers are all heterosexual please.

Exactly which planet are these Rabbis from? Has anyone alerted them to the fact that we are now in the 21st. century? Give us all a break!!

It amuses me how some Rabbis with a "lowest rung" in Rabbinical ordination, suddenly think they can get in the limelight by poskening on matters that heads far greater than them have already decided upon.

I applaud this rabbi for the stance he has taken concerning a woman singing in front of men. Many many modern religious people have been ignoring this ruling anyway in private.

And what, dear Shalom, do you think Rabbi Eliashiv would think about you wasting time on YNet? Go do something more productive with your time and stop exhibiting your ignorance of the process of psak halacha.

Do the same criteria apply for male singers?

It seems to me that the Rabbis of Israel are in competition with the Mullahs of Iran the story of the bridge in Jerusalem, and the other day Mp4 a tool of the De*il what next?

ynet did not mention anything about this rabbi's background. one might have though that he was rabbi eliashiv's brother in law or something. the fact is that this man runs "yishivat maale gilboa", which is a liberal institution with a "pluralistic mission", so what comes out of his mouth is not a shocker. he can not make himself into the religious authority that he isn't. ynet: you have a responsibility to present facts in a way that doesn't intentionally mislead.

Thanks Simon... For making me laugh again.... Swing a chicken over your head... Indeed...

"the rabbi explained that the Halacha (Jewish law) does not forbid listening to women singing, as long as the song is not intended for sexual provocation." What is your Halachic source for this statement? I was unaware that "intent" is the issue. If intent is important, then would it be permitted to go to a nudist colony if the women there had no intent of being sexually provocative?

Rabbi Brackman has once again proven that Lubavitch is the closest religion to Judaism. However, it sure ain't Judaism. This support of the corruption of the holy Jewish Law by the Bnei Akiva ingorami who model themselves after Rabbi Akiva before he became a sage, indicates the depth of distortion of Judaism that Rabbi Brackman routinely demonstrates.

Glad we can still have a laugh :-)

Hey Bill - why not learn a bit about what the issue is about before deciding which planet everybody is on? Kinda strange to render your decision from several thousand miles away and thinking that this has anything to do with the Taliban. It doesn't. The Taliban used to kill women for not just this such behavior (apparently they still do), but they like to kill little girls in schools to scare girls and women away from education. Not so the Jews. We prefer to argue about it. If a woman gets up to sing some men might stand up and walk out, but most of them will pick up a book or ignore her if they're 'offended'. You, however, offend me trying to suggest there's any comparison here with the evil, despicable Taliban. There ain't.

better yet, lose these nut job rabbis who make a mockery of women. They are ridiculously offensive to all but other looneys who know zip. The Torah mentions women singing in public and creating songs of admiration for King David after he won a great battle. How soon they forget.

even stupid . To see a nude woman in a nudist camp , you have to be also nude . I can't imagine a religious Jewish man in this situation .

I always think it is a hoot that Jewish fundamentalists say that secularists are obsessed with sex-- I mean who is it that sees sex in everything?

we are not all chorus girls, but thanks for the vote of confidence.

If I wrote that the Sun rose this morning in the East, you'd say that that was stupid, too.

What has this got to do with Brackman or Lubavitch? It's about an argument within Bnei Akiva, and a Zionist rabbi who has written a teshuva. Nobody involved has the slightest connection to Lubavitch, or to Levi Brackman. The byline on this article is Kobi Nahshoni. So I have to ask, what are you smoking?

"Rabbi Bigman said the innocence of a woman's song should be assessed according to five criteria: Propriety of atmosphere, lyrics, musical style, the woman's vestige, and her body language." Her vestige? She's only allowed to sing after she's dead and we can examine her remains? Or do we measure her footprints and somehow decide from that whether she can sing? What could this possibly mean?

I don't understand why so many of the comments on THIS ARTICLE are so critical of jewish law and its attitude towards women. The article clearly says that Rabbi Bigman permitted women to sing in front of men. If you are one of many on ynet who think Judaism and halacha are antiquated, then be happy for once since this is progress in your eyes. You undermine your anti-religious agenda when you automatically post mean-spirited, irrelevant comments every time the headline says "Rabbi".

The charediesque twits can banter about R. Elyashiv until their hats spin, but R. Elyashiv had zero standing in the larger chareidi world when he was a member of the Rabbanut High Court. No doubt the charedi armchair geniuses frequenting this site and others have more piety and knowledge than R. Bigman -- suuuuuurrrree.

If you read his entire statement, he says *five* things are important: Atmosphere, lyrics, musical style, the woman's vestige, and body language. So no, if you actually read him, content *is* important as well. But songs sung at a B'nei Akiva singing contest are not suggestive or provocative even in content, not to mention intent, unlike a woman in a nudist colony. Go ahead and actually read the teshuva, too, and not just the news report on it.

at anytime, anyplace, anywhere. And no-one can tell us otherwise!!!!

... because it acknowledges for the first time that women do something without the intention of luring men. Go ahead, Rav! You actually know full well women do all kind of things without this intention, incl. getting dressed in the morning - even when not fussing about with a tape measure.