Re: "Kol (Isha)"

[Shirona <shirona...>]

  Thanks Alana for all the illuminating information.  No wonder this issue
is so controversial - one needs a law degree just to sift through the
facts - never mind how they get interpreted.  If what you are saying is
true - that the Halacha on Kol Isha is ambiguous and unclear - then the
eventual "understanding" of this Halacha is even more upsetting. Otherwise
we wouldn't be having these discussions.

  The first I ever heard about KI was from my Grandmother Z"L who was born
in a Russian Shtetle. "Girls weren't allowed to sing in the old country",
she told me.  It was that simple. Seems like for most folks who adhere to
Orthodoxy is still is THAT SIMPLE, otherwise we wouldn't be having these
discussions!  The "heavy handed" way in which this "law" is enforced is what
we are mostly talking about.  Many women on this list, myself included,
suffered personally and professionally from this "law" - or rather the
unambiguous way in which some men chose to enforce the law.

  As for the divinity of Jewish Law - I have some questions for the
scholars.

   Alana Suskin wrote:
  >Judaism doesn't have a legislative system, we
  > have a judicial system. Laws can't be changed becasue
  > they're divine, but they are interpreted each

  Jordan Hirsch wrote:
  >As an observant, orthodox adherent, one believes
  >that the words of Rabbinical authorities are extensions of and indeed
mandated
  >by the authority of God, as handed down in an unbroken chain from Mt.
Sinai.

  My questions are:

  1.What is the "cutoff" point for divine laws? Did laws ever stop being
"divine"? Are all rabbinic rulings, including in the PRESENT considered
"divine"?  If so - does it matter what denomination the rabbi is?  What
about female rabbis?

  2.Was the "unbroken chain from Mt. Sinai" awarded to men only?  By who? By
G-d?   Where is it "written", and who wrote it...?

  3. A matter of opinion: Is "divinity" transmitted by males only - a
property of the Y chromosome?



  Jordan Hirsch wrote:
  >in favor of what they feel is a higher authority. That may be hard for us
to
  >swallow, but religion is a funny thing. It does not demand rational
thought,
  >but belief in something beyond human reasoning.

  1. How does this argument differ ("religion does not demand rational
thought") *in principal*  from ANY religious belief - including those who
produce suicide bombers?

  2.  I always thought that in Judaism we were supposed to use "rational
thought"- debate, argue and question EVERYTHING - with once exception - the
existence of G-d. Everything else can and SHOULD be debated, no?

  3. At what point are we "allowed" to use our own conscience, hearts and
minds - rather than rely on ancient ("divine") rulings?  Is Judaism telling
us "don't think, just go ask the rabbi"? "Look it up in the Talmud"?

  I really do want to know.

  Shirona
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  Singer, Songwriter and Teacher of Jewish Music
     www.shirona.com
     www.cdbaby.com/shirona
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