Jewish Scene
Rabbi Bigman: Women can sing 'in innocence'
Kobi Nahshoni
Published: 14.07.08, 14:13
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31. MIRIAM, THE PROPHETESS, AARON'S SISTER,
Norway   (07.16.08)
TOOK A TIMBREL IN HER HAND, AND ALL THE WOMEN CAME OUT AFTER HER WITH TIMBRELS AND WITH DANCES.* *The righteous women of that generation were so certain that the Holy One, blessed be He, would perform miracles for them, they took timbrels out of Egypt. [from Mechilta] AND MIRIAM CALLED OUT TO THEM,* *Moses said the Song to the men, and they answered after him, and Miriam said the song to the women and they too repeated it. (from Mechilta] SING TO THE LORD, FOR VERY EXALTED IS HE, A HORSE AND ITS RIDER HE CAST INTO THE SEA. Exodus 15:20-21
32. NOW DEBORAH AND BARAK SANG ON THAT DAY,
Norway   (07.16.08)
WHEN BREACHES ARE MADE IN ISRAEL, WHEN THE PEOPLE OFFER THEMSELVES WILLINGLY,* *When breaches come upon Israel, for their enemies made breaches in them because they forsook their God - - and the masses feel motivated to repent, as of now it is proper to bless God out of thankfulness for the salvation He has wrought. BLESS THE LORD. Hear, O kings, give ear, O princes, I, to the Lord I shall sing, I shall sing to the Lord, the God of Israel. LORD, WHEN YOU WENT FORTH OUT OF SEIR,* *This refers to the giving of the Torah (Deut. 33:2). The relation here is that thus said Deborah: “The Torah is detrimental to forsake and rewarding to cling to it for amidst awe and might it was given. Therefore Israel was delivered into the hands of their adversaries - BECAUSE THEY FORSOOK IT, BUT WHEN THEY DECIDED TO ENGAGE IN IT THEY WERE SAVED.” when You marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dripped; also the clouds dripped water... THE MOUNTAINS MELTED AT THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD, * *Like flowing water they melted away. THIS WAS AT SINAI, BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL.* Judges 5:1-5 *That which occurred there was because God descended upon it. (Ex. 19:16 19, 20:15).
33. ON THAT DAY, THIS SONG SHALL BE SUNG
Norway   (07.16.08)
IN THE LAND OF JUDAH: "THE CITY (JERUSALEM) THAT WAS OUR STRENGTH - SALVATION SHALL HE PLACE FOR WALLS AND A BULWARK. OPEN THE GATES, SO THAT A RIGHTEOUS NATION, AWAITING THE REALIZATION OF GOD'S PROMISE MAY ENTER.* *I.e., open her gates, and let a righteous nation, awaiting, that waited and longed in its exile many days - - the faith of the Holy One, blessed be He, that He fulfill His promise through His prophets, to redeem them (Rashi). The creature that relied, You shall guard, that there be peace, peace, for they trusted in You. TRUST IN THE LORD FOREVER, FOR IN YAH THE LORD, IS THE ROCK OF ETERNITY.* *For we must rely on Him for He is the fear of God, the rock and everlasting shelter. For He humbled the inhabitants of the high places, the fortified city, He brings it low, he brings it low even to the earth, he makes it reach even to the dust. A FOOT SHALL TRAMPLE IT, THE FEET OF A POOR MAN,* *he King Messiah, who is referred to as a poor man riding on a donkey/Tribes, (Zechariah 9:9). THE SOLES OF THE IMPOVERISHED.* Isaiah 26:1-6 *Israel, who were heretofore impoverished. WITH THE FEET THEY SHALL BE TRAMPLED, THE CROWN OF THE PRIDE OF THE DRUNKARDS OF EPHRAIM. ON THAT DAY,* *When the transgressors are destroyed. THE LORD OF HOSTS SHALL BE FOR A CROWN OF BEAUTY AND FOR A DIADEM OF GLORY, FOR THE REST OF HIS PEOPLE.* *For the remaining righteous men among them. AND FOR A SPIRIT OFJUSTICE TO HIM WHO SITS IN JUDGMENT, * *Will the Holy One, blessed be He, be, i.e., to teach justice, to him who sits in judgment. AND FOR MIGHT FOR THOSE WHO BRING BACK THE WAR TO THE GATE.* Isaiah 28:3,5-6 *And for might will He be for those who bring back the war, the war of Torah. PRAISE! PRAISE! DEBORAH. PRAISE! PRAISE! UTTER A SONG. ARISE BARAK, AND CAPTURE YOUR CAPTIVES, SON OF ABINOAM. Judges 5:12
34. Reuven , again a stupid comparison
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (07.16.08)
35. Should all women look like Kate Smith?
petra ,   usa   (07.16.08)
Sorry, Rabbi, maybe next time. Great voices( male or female) trump old non working rabbis who throw women off the bus. Go preach to the same taliban rabbis who hate women for a living. They need help, so do you. See a psych.
36. Ervah is Contextual
Doniel ,   Brooklyn, NY   (07.20.08)
First of all, Rav Bigman is a great influence on my hashkafah and his derech ha limud is truly a means by which we can understand the entirety of Torah she ba'al peh; unlike other approaches which merely look at the Bavli, his derech includes looking at the Mishna, Tosefta, Yerushalmi, and Midrashei Halacha, in addition to the Bavli with Rashi, Tosafot, Rambam (a nod to the Brisker Derech), Rishonim, Acharonim and Poskim (in a nod to the pshat of the Chazon Ish). Rav Bigman is a talmid hakham and a tzadik; his position on kol isha is based perhaps in the approach of The Rav, R' Joseph Ber Soloveitchik, the gadol of Modern Orthodoxy in America, who held based on the Gemara that ervah was contextual. His rebbetzin, Tonya, did not cover her hair, which was largely followed by many wives of Litvishe Roshei Yeshiva at that time. When the Rav was asked why, notes R' Yitzchak Greenberg in a teshuva of his on kol isha, he replied that ervah is contextual- it depends on the times we are living in. I don't think that dignified singing constitutes lewdness in our times; I hold that as long as female singing meets the criteria laid out by Rav Bigman, ervah would not be an issue and the singing would be fully muttar.
37. Yesher Koach to Rabbi Bigman.
tzina ,   Jerusalem, Israel.   (01.26.10)
I pray that one day Rabbi Bigman and all Torah loving Jews come treat women with respect. I long for the day that all the children of Hashem may offer songs of praise to our Creator and not be spat upon or arrested.
38. Open your EYES Dorothy (#21)
Yoni ,   Tsfat   (09.07.11)
Secular society IS obsessed with sex. Just look around you. Look at the advertisements on billboards, on busses, in newspapers and magazines. All of them are loaded with seductively dressed beautiful women. Why do you suppose that is? Look at the content of movies and novels! Same thing. Look at the BILLION dollar porn industry! Or, simply go to any newspaper stand on ANY day and look at the covers of the newspapers and magazines - then try to say that secular society is not obsessed with sex and making women into nothing but sex objects. The Torah is NOT anti-sex at all, it just teaches that there is a time and a place, and A person with whom it is appropriate, and THAT is what makes it special. If you don't see that western society is drowning in this obsession, it's time for a new pair of glasses.
39. Hetter
Aaron ,   Sao Paulo,Brazil   (11.17.11)
Dear Reuven #15, There is an hetter wich was used mainly by German Orthodoxy wich says that if a woman was singing any davar shebikdusha,there's no problem in listening her voice. The proof from this is a mekor that says that one is allowed to listen a woman chant to her baby son to sleep,as the yetzer hara isn't interested in such singing. The same thing applies to zemirot and religious chanting. So only profane singing would be forbidden (right-even inocent pure singing).Check rabbi's howard jachter halacha files on kol isha about that. shalom ubracha
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