interpretation anyday of the week. These are the fundamentalists who say we cannot open an umbrella on shabbot. Their ridiculous rulings are so assinine they actually serve to keep most Jewish people further away from the Lord than anything the arabs could ever do.

Barak need more of 'his jews" in the ranks that makes it easier to stage pogroms Amona. We should just get over it and create an anti semite division for such lovely purposes. They found that they had to brainwash Jew to do Gush Katif, but the goyim at Amona were good workers and self starters.

Where does a non-religious individual get off determining for others what Halacha required? The sheer chutzpah is unbelievable. This is an extreme example of an oft quoted saying of a good friend of mine, "Everyone is a Posek (Halachic authority)!

It is sad to have to realize that the founding father of Israel was Walt Disney and not Theodor Herzl

Mr. Barak has no authority in religious matters and his opinions are not wanted and irrelevant. A Gitten Chodesh,

Judge Goldstone has declared that Barak is a war criminal and you accept his interpretations?

It is the same in some Islamic rules, they cannot listen to women voices because it is assumed adultery via ear/listening Israel is not different than Iranian harsh religious rules, only difference because Israel is immigrants from Western countries Rabbis cannot enforce middleage rules as they wish but in a few years' process Rabbis may had upper hand and supress western immigrated jews who has a culture of freedom. In Turkey religious affairs cannot be mingled with army- Religious authorities cannot even talk in such way about army, They will be immediately arrested and put into trial

What primitive stone age nonsense is this.Only last week one of our wonderful woman professor received a Nobel Prize for chemistry. Now you fill the paper with this bilge.

Didn`t you just steal a million Sheks in France ?...... I hope you are not holding the word of G_D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is worse,which is the greater of the evils : listening to Rabbinic nonsense or listening to Baraks' nonsense ??

I agree totally with Barak. I have an Orthodox Semicha (Rabbinical Ordination) and I am aware of the existence of this rabbinical ruling that prohibits a man from listening to a woman singing. However in my opinion it is irrelevant today for the modern Orthodox Jew. If the woman is behaving immodestly then that is another matter. But if she is merely singing a song with non-offensive words then there is nothing halachically wrong in today's day and age.

Ok, Rabbis claim there is this Halakha. 99 % of the Jewish people think it is no longer relevant. Wouldn´t it make sense to change the Halakha so Jews can come back to Judaism? Why do Rabbis think it is enough if 1% of all Jews are rightous and let all the rest turn to Hiloniut or even worse? Is there a living Judaism without Jews?

They are more interested in being prudes and finding loopholes to curry favor is why people don't listen to their wackiness.

Barak is NOT a Rabbi--he should not attempt to tell people what is or is not Halacha. to those talkbackers who have difficulty with the law--there are various interpretations of one voice verus multiple voices, live singing versus a recording--it is up to each individual who cares to ask their RABBI ( not their Defense minister) what to do. AND if you dont' think any of this is relevant--than don't follow it. No one is making YOU not listen. No one is saying YOU can't go to a concert. Orthodox soldiers want and should have the right to leave a concert that offends them. Nothing more or less. Stop making something out of this that isn't there!

We want and need them converted. The people who do the conversions set the rules. Just like Barak tells soldiers to take down settlements, and expects his orders carried out, so, under the circumstances that these guys are converting, they do what the Rabbim say. BTW I think Barak has a cheek interfearing with Rabbis when he is out and out secular. He has a fit if and when they interfear in stratagy.

know how to live and do away with such nonsense. After all I visited David and Shlomo during their times. There was plenty of joy and singing and blessings. Just do the Pru Urbu and enjoy life already.

B"H Maybe it is not OK to hear Barak - talk.

to. There is singing and praying and praising God from all the voices in heaven. God hears the song of women's prayers just as He hears the music of men's and childrens' prayers. The beasts at the four corners of God's Throne say Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty over and over and over in a cacophany of praise. When I stayed at the Apropo Hotel in Tel Hashomer for two months in 2006, there was a sound from the engines that power the buildings that had a sound that was to me, music. I missed that music of the engines which was neither male nor female-like. It was almost a monotone like the prayers in the prayer room at the tower building of Sheba-Chaim Medical Center next to the Apropo Hotel. Finally, I realized what the sound of the engines was like: "Baruk ati Adoni Eluheinu". If you say that in a monotone over and over with the inflections of the engine sound, that is what I was hearing from the upstairs room close to the Emergency Room. I felt the presence of angels there, too. If you sing in a monotone, Baruk ati Adonai Eluheinu over and over, it will be the engine sound or music. To me it was a symphony.

being denied Paul Wilbur Jerusalem concert music since he is a male and women sing in the DVD's and CD's. What a loss to the spirit that would be. I can understand why men should not listen to seductive music by women that encourages them to sin, but there are some wonderful holy songs by women and by men that both sexes should not be denied hearing. God hears the music of the prayers of both sexes if the people praying are repentant and pleasing to the Lord, but He does not listen to the prayers of the heathen or those who are not repentant and humbled before Him. He listens to men and women who are in belief, but not to the prayers or songs of those who are not in belief.

first we have that nobel prize idiot lady whose mouth seems to work faster than her brain, now we have a mouth that is not connected to a brain speaking. Truly Amazing!!

worse than girls singing is listening to Barack speaking, this is strictly forbidden according to the Torah and logic. He is such an idiot, it is too bad Israel can't export stupidity, they could be the world's wealthiest country.

There have been so many crazy rulings in Judaism; we don't have to accept them all!! This is what alienates me from more observance!!

Thank you for injecting a note of sanity into the discussion.

So you accept Judge Goldstone's words at face value?

God gave women voices so they can talk and sing- God gave men voices and brains- and what are they doing? Forbidding God's gift? Where does it say anywhere that a woman's voice is sinful? It is the weakness of men that is the question here..... taking away the opportunity does not make men stronger - it is simply the easy way out- like cowards...

There are a great many social mores and pious customs recorded in the talmud that have become institutionalized as halacha even though, when you look at the original source, its clear there was no Torah requirement or rabbinic enactment in place, or intended. Rather, we've legislated piety and formalized implicit social norms due to our long exile in the diaspora as a means of maintaining Jewish identity and national cohesion. I see value in this when one is not sovereign in their own land and must live among the nations, but it comes with a price - a loss of textual sensitivity and insight, and a loss of critical textual distinctions. When one is sovereign in one's own land, however, the need to rebuild our national life requires us to be better educated and understand what is what on a textual level. We cannot be masters of Torah (and Talmud) if we continue to lump customs and social mores under the banner of regimented halacha. I'm not saying these social mores are wrong, mind you, but rather, that one must be able to recognize them for what they are and apply them accordingly. If you can't do that you have no business issuing a halachic decision concerning them.

and other such fanatics .