Listening to Songs from a Bad Source
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Question
Hello and blessings! I am a girl from the ultra-Orthodox sector studying at Beit Yaakov, and I have a hard time with general songs. So I wanted to know what is permitted for me and what is not. 1. Is it permissible for me to listen to a good song if the singer or the singer who sings it is not good, meaning they sing other bad songs or do not observe Torah and mitzvot? 2. Do I have a problem as a girl listening to women's songs (most female singers are not ultra-Orthodox due to the prohibition of being led astray by a woman's voice)? Thank you very much and blessings!
Answer
Hello
There is no prohibition in the Shulchan Aruch against listening to a good song from a bad singer, and there is no prohibition for a girl to listen to songs by a female singer.
However, it is certainly very poor conduct. Listening to songs greatly influences the soul, to the extent that the Gemara mentions 'Acher', who was an outstanding scholar but became a complete evildoer, and the reason for his downfall was that he sang songs of the gentiles.
And it is thus ruled in Halacha that it is forbidden to sing in prayer melodies originating from the nations of the world.
Therefore, every girl who wants to maintain the sanctity of her mind and purity of character should completely avoid these songs.
Source
Chagiga 15:
A Greek song never left his mouth.
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, Siman 53, Seif 25
And if the cantor uses foul language or sings songs of the gentiles, he should be stopped, and if he does not listen, he should be removed