[Avodah] Who First Said It? 7 - Mourning during Sefirah

[Arie Folger]

RMB wrote:
> Music is a later development. The notion of live music outside the
> context of a party was to rare for our ancestors to build a minhag
> around it one way or the other.

Aha? Sotah 48a:
R. Huna abolished singing, and a hundred geese were priced at a zuz
and a hundred se'ahs of wheat at a zuz and there was no demand for
them [even at that price];  R. Hisda came and [ordered R. Huna's edict
to be] disregarded, and a goose was required [even at the high price
of] a zuz but was not to be found.

According to Rashi, R'Huna's decree was against playing music both at
parties (which are undefined and need not have been se'udot mitzvah)
AND at home. Apparently people had music for leisurly entertainmentt
back then, too. And it was sufficiently common that it radically
impacted the demand for food, which indicates that this kind of
expensive food was eaten at discretionary parties, not weddings. Think
fancy meals inviting some friends at home, for example.
-- 
Arie Folger,
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