ISRAEL (VINnews) — Several Gedolim in Israel, led by Hagaon Harav Gershon Edelstein shlit”a, released a statement effectively banning musical Selichos events which have become prevalent in recent years on the first night of Selichos. The letter essentially says that what is supposed to be a sacred gathering has become an entertainment event.
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Here is a translation of the sharply-worded text:
“Regarding those who “breach boundaries” to change and overturn the sacred gatherings of the Selichos prayer, [by transforming it] into a recreation event by holding “Selichos evenings” with the participation of singers and orchestras, both in synagogues and [outside] in the streets, who, rather than fulfilling “shaking and trembling from the day of your coming (before Hashem for judgment)”, replace the prayers and pleas [being practiced] in all communities of Israel to prepare and approach the Days of Judgment, with a musical performance, while destroying the tradition of ‘Yisrael Saba’.”
“We hereby call on the organizers, Baalei Tefila, and singers, to cease their activities, and [we call upon] the public not to break any barriers in the “Kerem Beis Yisrael”. And in the merit of the firm stand to protect the sanctity of Israel, may they all be blessed with a “kesiva v’chasima tova” for all good and happiness for all days.”
The letter is signed by Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, as well as Rabbi Zvi Weber, Rabbi Yehuda Silman, Rabbi Sariel Rosenberg, and Rabbi Yitzchak Mordechai HaCohen Rubin.
This has been long overdue.
Music uplifts the soul and chazanim have been used for years to lead prayers, but the full blown musical productions that are beautiful are not what is needed for our personal sleichot prayers.
We need to use our hearts and not our ears to connect to HaShem, to ask him for forgiveness for what we have done wrong and that He should bless us with a good year.
As a Rebbi today teaching Beis Medrash bachurim. Its easy to appreciate and understand the need to ban events which are done for music’s sake and not using music as an avenue to connection with the self and Hashem. However after many years as a Talmid of members of the Moetzes of years past and having learnt by Rav Dovid Soloveitchik Ztzl and connecting deeply with the brisker mehalech hachaim. Today I find myself seeing my bachurim in a Alef Yeshiva mostly devoid of the ability to connect to Hashem. Musical selichos for many of them (when they sneak away from the Yeshiva for them) is the first time that they connected to Hashem in the Tefillah. The first time they cried and felt “Hashem loves me and I don’t want to let him down”. Today I try to sneak in the back myself and a part of me wishes Roshei Yeshiva across the oilam Hatorah would go, not as observers but so that they could finally feel Hashem in their lives. So that they could teach their talmidim about loving Hashem and not just a Mehalech hachaim based on Yirah. What will I do with my own Beis Medrash age children? I will encourage them to appreciate the words of Selichos and prepare them for the current standard Selichos I’m Yeshiva and one day encourage them to sneak in the back like a holy ganaf and find the keys to their own hearts.
Nobody listens to Gedolim when they goes against their interests.
How many know the peirush hamilos of slichos ? How many stay late in shul on yomim noraim because so many piyutim are sung with joy ? Everybody should daven and repent in their own way. BTW , Tehillim is 95 % song with musical accompaniments , even the very serious fearful ones.
What about musical performances by Levites in Beis Hamikdash singing verses of Tehillim ? What about cantors & choirs ON Rosh Hashana , days of awe , to inspire , especially those of us who are sensitive and are connected to music ? There ARE many who don’t feel anything when they hear melodies ( tone deaf ) , but most are.
Ivdu es Hashem Besimcha. That goes for a Monday davening as well as any other day of the year with exception of Tisha Bav. More rules , more bans , will not bring people closer to avodah besimcha.
Ask your local Orthodox Rabbi.
Not everyone is the same. Some people won’t participate without it. Is it better to discontinue this practice? I would think every person has different needs and it can be best addressed by each person’s personal Rabbi.
Sure. Let’s turn some more people away from HaShem and His Torah!! People who, obviously, do not respond to the usual way of Selichos but still yearn to come close to Avinu Shebashomayim need to have their needs met. Forcing people to bend themselves to a pre-set way of doing things will either comply and be hurt in the process or just turn away altogether.
The Terumat Hadeshen explains that we want to take the Oneg Shabbat, the pleasure and the joy of the Shabbat with us into our Selichot penitential prayer experience. That’s because during Selichot we reflect on the previous year, our misdeeds, our misdemeanors, our missed opportunities. We could easily be filled with fear and dread at this prospect, yet seeing as we are a positively minded people and we are always optimistic by nature it’s important that we take the happiness of Shabbat with us into the Selichot experience.
And that is why they are called Selichot which means ‘forgiveness’. Before the services even commence we are looking forward to a favourable outcome.
It’s about time. It’s become a huge issue over the past few years. We’re not allowed to feel sad on Tisha b’Av, Not allowed to feel somber and introspective on the Yomim Noraim, Not allowed to have the feelings and mindset that our Manhigim have told us are important to have in these times for millennia. Instead, “Feel Good Judaism” states that all that matters is “Simcha!”. Now Simcha is a very nice thing, and used properly can help elevate a person, putting him in the right frame of mind to be a good person and Jew. But it’s come to a point where Simcha has become somewhat of a “Yehereg V’Al Yaav’or”. Under the banner of “Well some people don’t connect to the typical way of Selichos/Kinnos/Davening/etc” We’ve blown the entire structure up. Now, the entire Davening is a concert, with a perfunctory “Selichos is about connecting to Hashem and our fellow Jews because every Jew is special and blah blah blah (true, but not the message of the moment) with Teshuva somewhat nebulously forced in somewhere. That isn’t what is required of us in the moment, but you wouldn’t know it through all the kumzitzing and kibbitzing.
the nekudah is that selichos should have an element of pachad, yirah, cheshbon hanefesh mear days before yom hadin . ofcourse there is a huge power to neginah ,but as we say in selichos ” kedalim ucherashim dofaknu delosecho..”
it is fair to say that those who did do music selichos did it with good intentions as a way of getting inspired & making it more meaningful
kabel rinas am’cha…….
the devil is the details. certain music styles are not appropriate for Slichos
chazonos with some music, perhaps…
I hold if you do the first one as a concert you got to do them all as a concert. Erev rosh hashana you start at 12 am and you end at 10 am in the morning.
There has been a constant struggle over the centuries to balance what is said and how.
In the time of the Tur, many Selichos were said in all 5 Tefillos Hayom on Yom Kippur.
But due to the extended renditions by some Chazonim, these Selichos were dropped. However, some Shuls still do say them in Shacharis, Mussaf and Mincho.
Isn’t Teshuva from Ahava the highest level ?
Lishmoa el a RINA v’et hatefillah
I would also like to know when it became the minhag to treat a funeral like a kumzitsz? After the meron tragedy and other publicized funerals inEY recently I have noticed this trend.
I’m wondering if anybody else is as bothered by this as I am? What has always been a tradition of crying is now turning into one of singing.
The chazanim are sending out a kol koreh against the long drashos which have started to become prevalent.
“What is supposed to be a sacred gathering has become an entertainment event”
100% agreed.
Dear VIN writer, please understand that when using quotations within quotation marks, the inner quote uses the singular quotation marks as you did with “Yisrael Saba.” The use of the single quote marks just needed to be consistent among the other inner quotes in the quoted letter.
Sh’koyach!
It’s a different generation with different needs. Not everyone can get inspired the same way.
Some shuls have done away with musical Lecho dodi. Some have done away with musical kedusha during chaziros hashatz. They argue that signing doesn’t have a place during Tefila. Seems like a spectrum of feelings on these issues.
Like many ideas and actions concerning Yiddishkite, it is bad for some and beneficial for others.
These Rabbanim don’t have anything better to do, or is there not more important things in our community.
Each can daven how he wants to, nd the way it inspires him.
Also, don’t we all sing uplifting tunes on Rosh Hashsana? Why doesn’t he ban that, like this all shuls will have to look like the boring long drawn out davening you see in the Yeshivas
As a Rebbi today teaching Beis Medrash bachurim. Its easy to appreciate and understand the need to ban events which are done for music’s sake and not using music as an avenue to connection with the self and Hashem. However after my many years as a Talmid of members of the Moetzes of years past and having learnt by Rav Dovid Soloveitchik Ztzl and connecting deeply with the brisker mehalech hachaim. Today I find myself seeing my bachurim in a Alef Yeshiva mostly devoid of the ability to connect to Hashem. Musical selichos for many of them (when they sneak away from the Yeshiva for them) is the first time that they connected to Hashem in the Tefillah. The first time they cried and felt “Hashem loves me and I don’t want to let him down”. Today I try to sneak in the back myself and a part of me wishes Roshei Yeshiva across the oilam Hatorah would go, not as observers but so that they could finally feel Hashem in their lives. So that they could teach their talmidim about loving Hashem and not just a Mehalech hachaim based on Yirah. What will I do with my own Beis Medrash age children? I will encourage them to appreciate the words of Selichos and prepare them for the current standard Selichos I’m Yeshiva and one day encourage them to sneak in the back like a holy ganaf and find the keys to their own hearts.
(Non-Chasidish) Rabbis, sucking the joy out of Yiddishkeit for 2,000 years and still going strong.
There are holy nigunnim, there is singing songs, then there is musical accompaniment. When was the last time you heard about a musical accompaniment on Purim? On Chanuka? Why has it become that on the holiest, saddest & somber days that tefilla has turned into a concert?
Everything has its time & place. Selichos should be inspiring, not entertainment. We should not lose sight of the forest, for the trees.
Killjoys
Sad man…
Many will not go if they can’t get uplifted….they don’t care about them!
We need to focus now on the Geziras Ha’Education, we can’t get distracted. This has time for next year – depending on then current circumstances.
B”H that gedolim have spoken out on this issue.
What about the kumzitzes that neo-Chasidim have on Tisha be’Av? Congregations in the Five Towns, like Aish Kodesh and Mevakshei Hashem have multiple kumzitzes on the day when we are supposed to mourn the Batei Mikdash and tragedies throughout many centuries.
Is there no end to this madness? No limits to the innovations of that crowd?
Finally in actuality all concerts and lipa in particular must be banned completely it’s laytzanus