Q. We, who follow Minhag Aschkenaz, Minhag Rainus, are stringent during Sefiras HaOmer, after Rosh Chodesh, not only not to listen to music, but also not to sing. This stringency was adopted by Chachmei Aschkenaz due to the added tragedies during the month of Iyyar and Sivan that resulted in the martyrdom of many communities during the Crusades.
I am privileged to be involved in singing and playing music for various stroke patients and otherwise paralyzed individuals. May I continue to do so from Rosh Chodesh Iyyar until Shavuos?
While I am asking, may I do so during the 3 weeks and/or including the Nine Days?
And if I may do so, what words of chizuk might Rav Miller have for me, since I would feel as if I am not joining with the community in their time of sorrow, and I would not like such a heter to affect me adversely? Is there some Tefila that I should say before playing or some section of Mussar or some other words of our Sages that I should study that will help me in this regard?
A. See question 1305 and 1312 above in regards to what kind of music is permitted during Sefira.
Altough, Oz Nidberu (8: 58), Shevet Halevi (8: 127), Tzitz Eliezer (15: 33) and others prohibit listening to taped vocal singing even without instrumental accompaniment, many Poskim permit just plain singing songs of praise, thanks and dveikus to Hashem even on a seudas mereius (a meal gathering of friends) when no dancing is involved. (Aruch Hashulchan 493: 2, Shulchan Aruch Horav ibid :1. See Igrois Moishe E.H. 1: 98, in regards to occasions of intense joy).
A single individual singing to himself when learning or davening etc,. is plainly permitted (Piskei Teshuvos 493: 4, Nitei Gavriel – Bein Hametzorim 15: 11). Still, Leket Yoisher quotes, that his rebbi, the Terumas Hadeshen, would not sing at all during Sefira days. Yosef Ometz (p. 128) mentions that this was also the tradition of the kehila of Frankfurt-Am-Main.
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that as long as the tunes are sober and not over-joyous, the benefit, healing and well-being created by singing to the stroke patients and paralyzed individuals, preempts and supersedes all the above issues, even during the Nine Days, since the songs are not for joyfulness they are not prohibited.
The Rov maintains that the chessed done to others in distress and in pain, is the greatest segula and source of brocho and hatzlocho.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a
Important Numbers
