Question & Answer With Yossele Kvetch - Rebbe Nachman & Don Ross
A Simple Jew asks:
The above video clip comes from guitarist Don Ross. Sony Music notes:
"Don Ross has emerged as one of the most respected musicians in Canada and one of the top guitarists in the world. In September 1996, he managed to do what no other player has done: win the prestigious U.S. National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship for the second time (he first won in 1988). The competition, held yearly in Winfield, Kansas, cannot be won only with immaculate technique, but the player's music must also display a high degree of emotion and intensity: hallmarks of Don's style."
I too use to play guitar from my elementary school years until my freshman year in college and thus have an tremendous appreciation for the musicianship exhibited by Don Ross. While in the past my music tastes included blues, R&B, heavy metal, and rap, since Pesach I have listened exclusively to Jewish music.
In Likutey Moharan I, 3, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught:
A holy melody gives strength to the forces of holiness. But the music of the sitra achra, the other side, damages these forces and lengthens the exile. It makes people stumble and traps them like birds in a snare. Be very careful never to listen to this kind of music at all. The musicians and singers who produce it have no religious intentions whatsoever. On the contrary, they only want to make money or become famous. Listening to this kind of music can seriously weaken your devotion to G-d. But the melodies played by a truly religious, G-d-fearing musician can be very inspiring. They can strengthen your devotion immensely
Is Rebbe Nachman advising me that it would be better not to listen to Don Ross? Although I can certainly imagine that chassidim would have problems with heavy metal, Don Ross's instrumental guitar music seems a little less egregious and does not appear to be offensive to religious sensibilities. Is it really that different than C. Lanzbom's Strings of the Soul which is also a CD of instrumental guitar music?
Yossele Kvetch answers:
For many years I did not listen to secular music -- although I grew up in a musical home, where I played classical cello from ages 9-14, and then switched to other instruments and styles. From 1981-1998 I tried to listen to Jewish music exclusively -- despite MASSIVE frustrations -- until as a result of working as a music producer professionally, I began to slip. Jewish music seemed to be in such a dismal state of golus that I couldn't deal with it any more. Often the only thing "Jewish" about the music that is popular in our communities is the lyrics, which tend to be strings of cliches bonded to mediocre rock and roll. So I gave up. Today, I listen to all kinds of music again (mostly instrumental, b'geder halakhah: no kol ishah, no avodah zara, and nothing that brings to hirhur). I don't say that this is ideal, but it is what works best for me at this time in my life.
As for Torah Gimel (Akrukta), Reb Nachman is speaking about live music and an evil singer specifically. So maybe I can be saved on a technicality! In any case, I try to learn Torah she-bal peh every night, if only a few halakhos and / or a few mishnayos.
Fedora Black was right in his e-mail that there is an avodah of "raising up" music from unholy sources by singing such songs on Shabbos. I have seen teachings about this from both Chassidic and Sefardic Kabbalistic sources, as well as in the Breslov sefarim. There is an entry in Reb Nachman's Sefer HaMiddos, too, about conquering the klippah of a nation by singing its anthem. But this has to be balanced by the Rebbe's words about not listening to a menagen rasha in Torah Gimel, and about different kinds of avodah zara and their songs in Torah Samekh-Dalet (Bo El Paroh). He is not saying that "anything goes." So how this works is a little unclear.
In any case, we are living through the darkness before the dawn. Jewish music, which is essentially so high and so holy, being rooted in prophecy and in the avodah of the Beis HaMikdash, seems to be in a state of eclipse.
57 Comments:
ASJ & Yossele,
Thank you both so much for this refreshing MUSIC post! After many days debating with people about the so-called 'ban' on concert music recently issued here in Israel, it's encouraging to read:
Jewish music seemed to be in such a dismal state of golus that I couldn't deal with it any more. Often the only thing "Jewish" about the music that is popular in our communities is the lyrics, which tend to be strings of cliches bonded to mediocre rock and roll.
May I also suggest the wonderful music of Shimon 'C' Lanzbom, who is an excellent virtuoso guitarist & played with RS Carlebach. Also, that of Musa Berlin and [l'havdil] Roman Kunsman z"l are wonderful [clarinetist & flutist].
I would also suggest listening to two recent additions to the Israeli music scene: Guy Tzvi Mintz & "Ein Od Milvado" [Shivi Keller], who have done wonderful things with 60s-style folksy music, and given it an important Jewish uplift!
Good points all.
I've enjoyed listening to recordings by Andy Statman, Israel Edelson, Simply Tsfat, and some other Jewish musicians with real instrumental talent.
I'm not against all outside influence on Jewish music, which has always gone on; I'm against absorbing the worst from the outside and not the best. If some Jewish guitarist played in the style of (for example) Duane Allman, Lonnie Mack, or Buddy Guy, I'd enjoy it.
It takes a very great Tzadik to pick up the holy sparks in non Jewish music. Perhaps the music of a "frum" music maker who is not so God fearing is no better than a Jewishized non Jewish song.
As far as music without lyrics (maybe even classical music), if the person composing isn't God fearing or has improper thoughts this can affect the music even though we may not realize it.
Anonymous: I have never met Don Ross nor do I know what is in his heart. How can I know if he is G-d fearing or not?
"As far as music without lyrics (maybe even classical music), if the person composing isn't God fearing or has improper thoughts this can affect the music even though we may not realize it."
Is Jewish music itself always free of this potential problem? Can we read minds?
That is, can we assume that someone who appears to have the right Jewish credentials really has all the right thoughts during composing or recording? At what point can Torah Jews trust their own judgment? Do we need to bother a Gadol or Tzaddik for his specific adavnce OK of each piece of music or recording or performance by anyone?
s/b "advance"
We aren't angels but if someone tries to be a good Jew that should quilify for God fearing "kosher music"
And if that person's music isn't good as music?
I found your post today very interesting and this is the first time I saw your post on heavy metal. Actually I used to be a real "metal head", though I didn't look like one. I was in regular "frum guy" but loved Heavy Metal music. I don't want to mention the names of any of these bands here, as I don't want to defile your site, but I listened to many of the real Heavy Metal bands including some of the heaviest speed metal bands.
BUT, I always acknowledged that I know this is the "sitra acher" (that's why the music is so good and stimulating) and I shouldn't be listening to it (or any other goyish music). It was a taivah like anything else and I knew eventually I wanted to stop listening to it. Eventually I stopped completely.
Now, the only music I really like is music originating from real tzadikim, like this I know it is genuine and besides, it really sounds Jewish. This includes music that tzadikim may have taken from Secular sources because they sensed Holy Sparks there. In my Metal days I once heard a friend listening to a Jewish tape that sounded really great. He told me it was a recording of live music from a certain Chassidus in EY. This sounded like real Jewish music. From them on I would listen to this and metal, until I dumped the metal and started listening to only Jewish music. I'm no tzadik, but the reason I got out of the goyish music is because I realized it could be doing much harm to my neshama without me even realizing it.
Interestigly if you compare a standard "frum" wedding (BH or MO with a mixture of some real Jewish songs and some modern day songs that don't sound very Jewish) or a wedding where they have real disco (I have seen this by "Shomer Shabbos" people) with a "real" chassidish wedding (or a Rebbishe wedding), the latter is so much more lively (perhaps partly because the music is from a Holy source and played by a frum person) and that is often with a one man band.
Thank you so much for sharing that, RJM. It appears that we were once in the same boat, although I used to have long hair in high school and wore an Anthrax t-shirt every day of the week.
Bob Miller: In order to compose pure music, one has to be pure.
Someone, maybe a rabbi, once told me in effect that it was possible for a composer of classical music to keep his limitations as a person out of his music. I'd consider Mozart as a prime example.
To expand on that:
The idea was that classical composition was thought of as something elevated and above the ordinary, so that composers at work would consciously have excellence and ideals in mind as opposed to, for example, their next trip to the beer garden, wild party, etc.
While this may seem like a sort of split personality, the divorce of ideals from everyday life is a real factor in general society.
The question is, how a guy who goes to "wild parties" really split his personality in a sense of becoming pure spiritually for the time of composing?
People can focus remarkably well when they want to. Today in America, there are many people whose workday selves and after-hours selves are entirely different.
Bob Miller: This is what I mean. This split is only superficial. One can't attach to evil and detach at will without any effort. Unless one is totally fooling himself.
Who says classical composers made no effort in that direction? The point was that they did make that effort. I think this traces to a duality in the European outlook (Esav's?).
Bob Miller: People's work day selves and after-hours selves may seem entirely different, but they're the same in pnimius really.
Yes, a composer can have ideals while composing, but he's acting as a kli for these ideals. And if the kli is polluted, the music that comes out will be very harmful for a jewish soul (and probably for a goyishe soul too - most nazis y's enjoyed classical music...). In a way it's like something holy (ideals) being trapped in a polluted kli, well, that's a definition of a klipa... Indeed it takes a tzaddik to release those holy sparks...
Wow. Seriously, wow.
So I am to understand that in this world things either emanate from pure good or poor evil, that's it. Oh, and it can also be assumed that anything jewish is the former and anything non-jewish is the later.
You cannot know the true measure of the artist, jew or not. Judge the thing on it's musical merits.
I wonder why we write here using the English language and Latin letters. According to one opinion above, aren't these also permeated with non-Jewishness? I don't discount our need for vigilance against harmful influences when appropriate, but I don't take this extreme view either.
Bob: "Who says classical composers made no effort in that direction?"
The effort needed to disattach oneself from evil is a lifetime of effort. That's what we call a true "oved Hashem". It should be at least proportionate to the amount of evil that had entered the person. Otherwise one is fulling himself.
"The effort needed to disattach oneself from evil is a lifetime of effort. That's what we call a true "oved Hashem". It should be at least proportionate to the amount of evil that had entered the person."
I see. And one is able to know when they have "disattach"ed themselves how exactly? More to the issue at hand, how am I to know when another has done so to the point that it will no longer "influence" their work?
I did not differentiate between jewish and non jewish music. I said that it depends on the righteousness of the composer, not on his race! I would stay away from music written by an evil jew, and have no problem with music written by a righteous goy.
G: Excellent questions. Precisely because it's almost impossible for common people to know the answers, we rely on our sages to "adopt" foreign music.
"I would stay away from music written by an evil jew, and have no problem with music written by a righteous goy."
Again, how-do-you-know?
"impossible for common people to know the answers, we rely on our sages"
**sigh** Nevermind...
G: I don't. Fortunatelly though, I'm exposed to enough authentic jewish music (by authentic I mean that it was either written by holy jewish sages or adopted by them) that I don't have to look for other music so much. Also, after listening to this music for many years you kind of get a sense of what's good, but that could be subjective of course...
What percentage of today's "Jewish music" has been "adopted" by any sage whatsoever? Does anybody ask them before recording or releasing the latest batch of gross, loud, boring cds? While I don't buy some of Moshe's or A Yid's arguments, I do think the sages would have kept out the bad stuff that's so common now.
g: Yeah, that's what we jews do, we rely on our sages. And that's how we survived for ages :) I'm not out to convince you to do the same, but you don't have to make light of it.
I have actually bought some Chassidic recordings made in Israel that had rabbinic haskamos in their enclosed booklets, and the music was very enjoyable.
--we rely on our sages.
Not for all things in all instances. Sometimes, believe it or not, one is allowed to think for themselves.
--And that's how we survived for ages
That was quite a leap you just made, from music to survival.
Bob Miller: Surely, lot's of today "Jewish" stuff can barely pretend to be kosher music. It can remind rap and etc. even. But I assume it also depends on how clear one understand the view on good and evil in Yiddshkayt in general. If one has no clear understanding - many issues are obscure. That's why it is the question to a Rov rather, than a question of one's taste.
g: I don't know exactly who you are and how much you know / are connected to judaism, so I was explaining myself in the simplest way without getting into details. Yes, one is allowed to and even must think for themselves. This is not the time to discuss it more now. If you study the Torah in a proper way you get a sence of when to rely on your own judgement and when to rely on others.
"That's why it is the question to a Rov..."
A Rov with the necessary expertise. He would need to understand halachic and musical issues and also the real subtleties involved.
At this late date, it's hard to see how the Jewish music scene can improve unless the public taste also improves.
Bob Miller: There are such people fortunately, who have an expertise, but more than that, who can perceive the essence of music - it's inner soul.
Improving of the "scene" is not an issue I think, because the situation is a disaster (in a sense of a scene). Rather it is now a personal issue - what one is interested in. If one can't compose nigunim - there are plenty of old ones. But if one can, and in a proper way - gevaldik.
Weddings have often fallen victim to this problem. Earplugs are needed for safety. Some older songs are played early on to placate the older folks, but afterwards a lengthy bedlam typically ensues. Simcha guidelines about the size of the band are irrelevant to the quality issues. The couples getting married and the parents have to become part of the solution.
g: "Again, how-do-you-know?"
To answer your questin in a different way: Yes, we could know. If the composer was known to spend his life running around helping people and bringing them closer to G-d and Torah one can safely assume that his music is good. There were few such like R' Shlomo Carlebach, Erez Levanon, R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh... But if the composer was a flirterer and ended his life with suicide then, well...
Bob Miller That's why choosing the right klezmer is very important :) I prefer when he plays only real nigunim. I know few such. In case you need one - I can give you contacts :)
Just a note on the historical context when Rebbe Nachman gave the lesson in Lekutai Moharan about music and musicains.
At the time, people were not wealthy, so when it came time to make a chasunah, people actually got married on Friday with the wedding feast on Friday night so as to cut down on expenses, combining the wedding feast with Shabbos dinner. (sorry, I don't remember the sources) I believe it was halachically permissable to employ a non-jew, on Shabbos to perform at this wedding feast, l'sameach the chosson and kallah.
This situation is what Rebbe Nachman disapproved of.
I wish I could remember where I heard this.... help!
Just look at one who is a real "erlicher yid". I mean really erlich, not just plays the part. See what they listen to. It will not be any of the Jewish "pop" adopted from unholy sources.
"If the composer was known to spend his life running around helping people and bringing them closer to G-d and Torah one can safely assume that his music is good. "
So absent that knowledge...not?
As I said in my first comment; Seriously, wow.
RJM:
There have been "real ehrlicher Yidden" who listened to classical, folk, and other secular music forms. There are teshuvos and other rabbinic discussions about this, and basically there is no issur if the music doesn't have provocative lyrics or isn't inherently connected to avodah zara in the mind of the listener. The rest is all a matter of kedushah.
Music like all art is not just a spiritual medium, but a form of emotional and intellectual expression. Therefore, we have something to learn from all people, Jewish and non-Jewish, within the bounds of halachah.
With all due respect, our medieval paytanim were awesome tzaddikim, but they were not as great writers as William Blake or Dylan Thomas or Robert Frost, and not too many frum instrumentalists compare to Leo Kottke or John Coltrane or Andres Segovia or Pablo Casals...
Says Rav Kook: "It is a mean eye that causes one to see only ugliness and impurity in everything beyond the bounds of Israel, the unique nation. This is one of the most awful, debased forms of darkness. It damages the entire edifice of spiritual virtue, the light of which every spiritual soul seeks" (Mishnato shel HaRav Kook, pp. 306-307, translated by Rabbi Dovid Sears in his "Compassion for Humanity in the Jewish Tradition," p. 9).
"Chokhmah ba-umos taamin!"
PS: The fact that Modzitzer niggunim sound like European classical music from the turn of the last century, Chabad niggunim sound like Russian folk songs, Viznitzer niggunim sound like gypsy songs, and so much Sefardic music sounds like Arabic and other non-Jewish middle eastern musics can't be a coincidence. We heard this stuff and adapted certain parts of it to our music -- just as Jewish music, in turn, influenced that of the people with whom we lived. There has always been a certain amount of cultural cross-pollination, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
The main question is whether or not we are "elevating" our influences by having the right intentions, or whether we are loosing touch with our own spiritual roots and aspirations.
y kvetch-
I actually am not disagreeing - as you said it was the tazdikim that adapted the music or maybe reclaimed what was originally ours, as opposed to someone trying to make his Jewish music sound un-Jewish. What I mean is that the Jewish "pop", where they try to make the music sound not Jewish.
A REALLY beautiful thread this is, with all the wonderful comments! Gentlemen, you've restored my soul.
I would just like to share with you two ideas from the first Modzitzer Rebbe on this topic:
1. The Divrei Yisrael [1st Modzitzer Rebbe] used to travel out of the town to refresh himself & enjoy the fresh air. Once he was riding thru a pasture, & suddenly heard the song of a shepherd. He had them stop the wagon, & listened to the entire song. He then explained to those with him: "You should know, whoever sings a song, is as if he is confessing [to G-d]. A person's song is his confession, for thru this song one can discern his essence; and whoever confesses, no matter who he is, one must listen to him."
2. "When I hear a Jew sing a niggun, I can tell his level of Yiras Shamayim [fear of Heaven]. and if he is wise or foolish."
**********
Certainly we are not on the level of the Divrei Yisrael, & perhaps that's why the great Tzaddikim could transmute non-Jewish music into a Jewish niggun. Perhaps some of the earlier Chassidim could do this as well. But at least we can know that there is something perceptible in music that those who are in tune enough with Ratzon Hashem & kedusha can discern.
{More at the next post...]
personally, i think metal and alot of rap is bad for the soul. but i know people who listen and they are guten neshamot. i think it's bad when all the electronics are added. it's bad musically and spiritually. if you call yourself a musician or artist then you must be able to perform with no electricity/synth/track etc. otherwise you're a faker. period.
i'm a musician, thank G-d. i learned to play an instrument. i don't want to hear about "no instruments in schools"...you can make a flute out of pvc pipe. people need to be encouraged to play real instruments.
and, people need to be taught to discern the spiritual level of the music they are hearing. there's way too much b.s. masquerading as music. it harms the youth.
even people who are supposed to be spiritual, it's not necessarily good music.
in the frum world. there's a lot of mess that is so canned. please, just give me a sincere niggun by a rebbe and cut out the rest of the showbiz crap.
Anonymous: I would encourage you to use lashon nekia in your comments - particularly the last word you used is not appropriate on this site. I was very close to deleting it.
Bob Miller wrote, "I wonder why we write here using the English language and Latin letters. According to one opinion above, aren't these also permeated with non-Jewishness?
The Chiddushei HaRim has something to say about this. Chazal tell us that Moshe Rabbeinu explained the Torah in 70 languages. The obvious question is: what's the point? He was speaking to the Jewish people. Can you imagine a lecturer in an American University after completing his lecture, giving it over again in French, then in Spanish, etc.?
The Chiddushei HaRim explains that each of the world’s seventy nations has its own particular resistance to holiness. When Moshe Rabbeinu explained the Torah in a specific language, he enabled that language to be used to connect to the Torah. He activated the language, in a sense, for Torah. Thus, even in exile we are able to connect to the Torah notwithstanding the host nation’s resistance to holiness.
See here for the entire ma'amar:
http://sfasemes.blogspot.com/2006/07/devarim-5631-first-second-maamar.html
ASJ said above about a comment containing offensive words,"I was very close to deleting it."
If necessary, are you able to delete part of a comment and not the whole thing?
Unfortunately, not. It is either all or nothing.
ASJ: My Random House Dictionary of the English Language, from 1968 [!], says that the word 'crap' means:
"n. Slang. 1. nonsense; drivel.
2. a lie; exaggeration.
3. refuse; rubbish; junk; litter."
I did not find his language offensive. It's only if you substitute the word he used for an expletive, that it becomes so. His comment was appreciated!
Yitz: I don't want to split hairs on this one. You may be technically correct. Nevertheless, I certainly do not consider this word to be lashon nekiah.
You may be right, I don't know. In this case it depends on how most people "hear" the word. Some people have a similar reaction to the use of the word "stupid," but many do not. But per se, the use of the word is not deficient Lashon Nekiah.
A related posting here
Dear Yossie,
I can not wait to hear a na nach composition from you. Anyway the fact of the matter Rebbe Nachman was talking about staying away from vocal singers who are hypocrits, like chazanim who pray to god as if
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