Listening to Songs of Problematic Singers
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Question
There is a singer I really love to listen to who recently passed away, and rumors say he took his own life as a result of post-traumatic stress from fighting in Gaza. He used to speak about faith and sing about faith. My question is whether the fact that he took his own life reveals something about who he was and whether it is advisable not to listen to his songs (as it is known that songs affect the soul), or since it is post-traumatic stress, it does not reveal who he was. Also, is listening to songs of a singer who came out of the closet a prohibition and support of his sins?
Answer
Hello and Happy Hanukkah
There is a prohibition against listening to songs whose source is not good, as music greatly influences the soul.
Certainly, songs of transgressors affect the listener with coldness and frivolity towards sacred matters.
In this regard, it does not matter what types of sins the singer commits, the influence will be harmful to the Jewish soul.
However, certainly, a singer who declares himself as committing open and abominable sins is even worse. For there is also public identification, and the audacity and brazenness in the singer's actions.
[This does not refer to minor sins that a person commits between himself and the Almighty, for there is no person who does good and does not sin. Rather, it refers to such sins that turn a person into a 'transgressor'].
Regarding the first story, I do not know who is being referred to, and there are two possibilities:
If it is a person who is a transgressor, there is an issue with listening to his songs, regardless of the fact that he took his own life, as explained above. .
But if it is a person who observes commandments, there is no issue listening to his songs for two reasons. A. It is forbidden to believe that he took his own life, as it is forbidden to believe the slander spoken about him, and we are obligated to judge all his actions favorably. B. Even if we know for certain that he did so, it is forbidden to disgrace him, as it is very possible he is considered 'compelled' due to the severe mental distress he undoubtedly was in.
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