Non-Jewish Music

I have a problem, and because of that, I have a lot of trapped emotions in me. It helps to release them by crying a bit. Crying doesn't come easy for me, and there's a song that I listen to that makes me cry, so whenever I have a lot of trapped feelings in me, I listen to the song. I got kind of bored of the song, and it doesn't help me anymore. I found a new song, a really emotional one, and the first time I listened to it, I burst out crying. I felt a lot better after. The problem is that I am usually careful about not listening to non frum music. My question is if it's okay to listen to that non frum song if it helps me, or if I can't.

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

A person should only listen to Jewish, “kosher” music.

Listening to non-Jewish music is problematic in many ways.

For example, non-Jewish music often has bad words and bad themes, something a Jew should keep from away from. There is also the concern that the source of the music might be from non-Jewish religious themes even if not obvious from the words. A Jew must completely desperate himself of anything from possible idolatrous influence. Another issue is the ban on a man listening to a woman sing.

In the words of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in his Likutei Maharan 3:1, “Behold, when one hears music from a wicked musician, it becomes difficult for him to serve his Creator. Yet when he hears it from a kosher musician, then it is good for him.”

So too, on the topic of non-Jewish music, the Rebbe of Piacezna in his Hachsharas Havreichim, chapter 9, writes :Behold, we see great singers and musicians whose hearts are distant from Hashem, without belief and heart, Heaven spare us; and even among idol-worshippers there are musicians. For music is nothing but a form of exposing of the soul and its feelings. Yet, there is no determining what a person will do at the time that he brings out this feeling, and what he will accomplish with the part of his soul that has now become exposed.”

This gives us an understanding on how important the music we listen to is.

That being said, in the event that the issues mentioned above are not applicable, since you need it medically it would permitted to listen to the non-Jewish music.