Re: "Kol (Isha)"

[Marvin Margoshes <physchem...>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alex Jacobowitz" <alexbjacobowitz (at) yahoo(dot)com>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2004 1:54 PM
Subject: Re: "Kol (Isha)"


> B"H Munich
>
> --- Eliott Kahn <Elkahn (at) JTSA(dot)EDU> wrote:
> >
> > >But we spent 20 years fighting a holy war for
> > Islam," said the third commander, who also refused
> > to give his name. "God and the Prophet said women
> > should not sing."
> >
> > And they ain't the only ones....
> > >
>
> That maybe the case. But it shows that no matter
> how many times you write the truth, you can´t
> make people read it. Or remember it. Or quote it.
>
> Ladies and gentleman, please listen up. For the
> perhaps umpti-teeny-weenieth time, the law of
> Kol Isha is NOT that women should not sing.
> Women CAN sing. Women DO sing. And that
> is encouraged by Jewish law, and is encouraging!
>
> NOT that women should not sing. It´s
> about men not listening to it WHEN AND
> IF SHE SINGS. Got it?
>
> There may be valid parallels, and irritating,
> even anti-Semitic comparisons between certain strains
> of Orthodox Judaism and some fundamental Islamists. No
> one posits that educated criticism isn't often useful.
>
>
> But before anyone sets him or herself up to be the
> Next Lawgiver, how about getting the Law right? First?
> Or is that asking too much?
>
> There´s a positive mitzva (commandment!) not to change
> the laws. Changing the laws would, therefore, be a
> sin. Misquoting a law goes even beyond that.
> Does it serve a tangible purpose except in helping
> someone make a dubious point?

That is a real discussion stopper!  This law, and others are man-made,
derived from the Torah.  Laws and customs do change.  Institutions that
don't change don't last as long as Judaism has.

>
> Alex Jacobowitz
>
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