[Avodah] fashion models and opera singers

[Chana Luntz]

Sigh, rejected from Areivim again on the grounds that it is more suited
to Avodah:

RSP writes:

> A former student of mine is a very successful budding opera
> singer.  Although she knows that halacha does not permit kol 
> isha in performance (even in the most lenient piskei halacha 
> that I'm aware of, at least) 

Such a heter must exist however - as there are too many reports of
gedolim in Germany (not to mention Boston) going to the opera (RMS -
this is your department is it not?).  The fundamental issur of kol isha
falls on the man, the women's obligation is only derivative, so if it is
mutar for a man to go to opera, it surely must be mutar for a woman to
sing in performance there.

Even if you held that it is indeed assur for a Jewish man to go to the
opera - I could see a possible heter if you held that such an issur was
noheg amongst Yisroel only (which would seem logical given that the
proof text is from Shir HaShirim).  Because assuming that there is no
issur on a non Jewish men, why should a Jewish women not be able to earn
a living performing for non Jewish men and women (knowing that no frum
Jewish man would be found in an opera house).  It seems to me that only
if one held that the issur on listening to kol isha was part of the
sheva mitzvos benei noach that one would have a clear cut reason to ban
this practice even if one sung in an opera company in chutz l'aretz.

This of course is assuming that the underlying issur is as you have
described it, that of kol isha.  If the underlying issue is lo yiye
kadesh, then that would seem to devolve primarily on the woman.  It
would still seem clear however, that if it is a mutar for a Jewish man
(and talmud chacham) to go to the opera, then this prohibition cannot be
operative.  And it does seem quite a stretch to say that singing in the
opera is equivalent to being a kadesh.

I know R' Getzel Ellinson at least, wants to learn much of the tznius
issurim from lo yireh bach ervas davar (RMB's heara notwithstanding that
is is odd that such things are being learnt from a pasuk that deals
fundamentally with latrines).  But the same issues arise - if a man can
go to opera, then it is clear there is no ervas davar involved, and even
if he can't, is singing in a non Jewish opera to be considered "bach"? 


> Kol tuv,
> Simi Peters

Shabbat Shalom

Chana