Taking Away the Free Love In Taliban Judaism...

Well, apparently concerts given by Yeshivish/Chareidi performers are now banned as well, according to this article by Arutz 7. This concerts is in commemorations of the 40th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem.

A damper was placed on the event, however, in the form of a rabbinic ban appearing in the hareidi-religious press. The ban is signed by leading rabbis including Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the Gerrer and Bezler Rabbis, Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman, Rabbi Shmuel HaLevy Vozner, Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Sheinberg, and more. .

The Rabbincal statement reads: "We trembled at hearing about the terrible breach in our camp of 'music evenings' and 'concerts' in which musicians sing before men and women sitting together, Heaven forefend, and even not together. All Torah leaders have in the past clearly forbidden these events, even when men and women are separate."

The rabbis say the ban applies to men, women and children and of course the performers. Newspapers are not permitted to advertise these events, according to the ad, and musicians who sing "in front of men and women together" must not be invited to sing at other events.

OK. So, separate sitting, which is probably all that's available at a concert like this, doesn't mean anything any longer. Very much a change from when I was a kid and went to a Mordechai Ben David concert at the site where they were breaking ground for the new and very Chareidi city of Emmanuel in Shomron (where, by the way, I lived for nearly three years) and where there was indeed separate seating. Hmm.

Does this mean one may no longer go to a wedding where there is exclusively separate seating as well? After all, most weddings have a band and a singer singing for both men and women and both men and women actually dance to the singing... Hmm.

Next quote:

A source close to one of the above rabbis told Arutz-7 he was unsure of the grounds for the ban. He opined that it could be because of the mixing of the genders outside the event...

...As opposed to at a wedding where people are outside that event as well. Perhaps husbands and wives should start arriving at these events in separate cars and the events should take place in two separate rooms, or even buildings, in order to be sure men and women don't mingle...

Of course, the article does provide a caveat to this ban:

One source said he believes one of the rabbis signed this ban several years ago, and that it was not presented to him again. Others expressed a lack of confidence in the entire system of "signed rabbinic decisions," in that it is not clear how the situation was presented to the rabbis. There have even been cases of rabbis who said their names were "signed" on various announcements without their permission.

The producer of the event, Moshe Ben-Zimra, responded to this ban, and he responded well:

Men and women will be totally separated at the event, including separate entrances, and everything is taking place under the supervision of great rabbis. I greatly respect the rabbis who signed the ban, but they were misled by their underlings whose purpose is simply to liquidate Hassidic music in Israel. The rabbis don't realize that this event is kosher and maintains the laws of modesty. Over 10,000 people have already bought tickets, and they can rely upon the Torah rabbis who support separate and modest events of this nature.

Well, so much for men and women intermingling outside the event. Men and women are going to have SEPARATE ENTRANCES!!

So, what is it with Chareidi obsession with sex, anyway? It's obvious all these silly bans are about it. Did these rabbis really sign this ban? Did they know what it was really about? We all know about the Rabbi Natan Slifkin fiasco. We all know there is a problem with "signed" Rabbinic decrees.

It seems to me these people, whether the rabbis themselves or their underlings who actually seem to be holding the power and controlling the rabbis, are determined to take away any avenue of enjoying anything in life. What's next? Separate Chuppah for Choson and Kallah? Maybe via a webcam? Oh, wait, webcams and the internet are assur as well...

Hashem Yishmor...