[Avodah] fashion models and opera singers

[T613K at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/2/2007, chana at kolsassoon.org.uk writes:

>>Note that this issue comes up in a whole myriad of contexts -  your
husband may well face it, at least indirectly, if he sells CDs and  such
to not such religious Jews - how does he know they won't play them  on
shabbas?<< [--RCL]

>>>>>
Your whole post was your usual terrific and insightful analysis  -- except 
just this one point is maybe a little weak.   A CD can  certainly be played on 
weekdays, thus my husband has no obligation to make sure  that his customers do 
in fact play CDs only on weekdays.  The lifnei iver  in the case of a woman 
opera singer is that a man in the audience necessarily  hears her voice -- it's 
not as if he can decide to only hear the male singers'  voices.  Or in the 
case of the bikini-clad woman on the beach -- it's not  as if it's possible for 
a man to look at her and only see her face and  hands -- the way it is 
possible for someone to play a CD only on weekdays.   If my husband sold CDs that 
only work on Shabbos your comparison would be  stronger.
 
The opera singer or bikini-wearer seems to me to be a little closer to  
someone selling treif meat to a Jew, while my husband's case is more like the  
grocer selling cheese blintzes and chopped liver to a customer.  How does  he know 
that the customer won't eat them together?  Yet no posek  requires separate 
stores for milk and meat.
 
Yes I did follow your reasoning as to why the opera singer might not be in  
technical violation of any halacha -- you compared it to being a lawyer who  
takes Jewish clients, which the poskim you cite permit.  I still  think the 
opera would be an exceptionally poor career choice for a  frum woman -- MUCH worse 
than being a lawyer!
 
 :- )
 
[Please note smiley face appended to obviate the possibility of any  umbrage 
being taken by esteemed Avodah members of the legal  profession.]

 

--Toby  Katz
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