Rabbi Bigman: Women can sing 'in innocence'
Following spat over Bnei Akiva singing contest, head of religious kibbutz decides to allow women to sing in public if song is not intended to seduce men, suggests five criteria by which singing can be deemed 'innocent'
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.
He stated that "there is no problem for the modest and pious of our girls to develop a singing career, even within popular culture, but without relinquishing the delicate foundations of the culture of the Torah and without cooperating with the vulgar commercial aspects of the culture surrounding us."
The rabbi also believes that the stance prohibiting women from listening to men's songs should be adopted, though it is not a halachic ruling. He also recommended that the generally accepted decree that allows the singing of two or more women together be abandoned, as it is "strained and not to be relied on solely."
Rabbi Bigman explained that he had decided to reconsider the subject of women's song because "the issue of 'the voice of a woman equals lewdness' has been discussed in differing contexts, especially in the answers of the great men of the recent generation, and yet has not been discussed in relation to the public that for many years has been easing restrictions under certain circumstances and allowing women to sing in public."
Another reason for the rabbi's reconsideration was spiritual necessity. According to Bigman, "Women of certain public sectors are so insulted by the decree prohibiting them from singing in public that they become estranged from Torah and mitzvah because of it."
