[HANASHIR:14867] Re: Kol Isha

[Ethan Leigh Bueno de Mesquita <mesquita...>]

Robbi,

As I understand it, Kol Ishah is a halkhic issue and not a matter of
minhag. I am no authority on halakha and have studies this very little so
I am happy to be corrected. A few of the important halakhic citations
include:

1. Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 24a, where the rabbis say, "Kol b'ishah
ervah" (the voice of a woman is nakedeness) and prohibit the recitation of
the sh'ma while hearing a woman's voice.

2. Babylonian Talmud Kiddushin 70a (more or less the same statement but in
a different context).

3. Shulchan Aruch Even Ha-Ezer 21:1, which states that a woman should not
sing in the presence of men.


Ethan

> A query for the group.  "Kol Isha" - voice of the woman - is a prohibition
> for orthodox men against  listening to the voice (usually defined as
> singing voice)  of a woman (other than their wife) because the woman's
> voice is seductive. I do not believe it is "halacha" -  law -  but rather,
> customs of the individual communities, rebbes they follow, etc. If there is
> indeed Jewish law which mandates Kol Isha, I would love to learn the
> source.  Please enlighten!


*******************************
Ethan Bueno de Mesquita
Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science
Washington University
CB 1063
1 Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO  63130

mesquita (at) post(dot)harvard(dot)edu
www.fas.harvard.edu/~mesquita

"Prudence is a rascally virtue." -- Benjamin Rush


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