Chief Rabbit Lau " Ethiopian Women Don't Tempt Me" -- Rules - Kol Isha Is OK for Himself. Checks His Knees at 2:00 - COURTESY - THE JEWISH ONION

These Holy Men Used Their Influence To Have YouTube Take Down The Video

COURTESY - THE JEWISH ONION

Written by Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits of KOF-K Kosher Supervision

There are many inyunim of tznius which people think are permitted when in fact they are not. Our main focus will be on Kol Isha and all the halachos that apply to it.
Chazal say one who is careful with hilchos tznius is kodesh.[1] Fortunate is the person who watches himself from being nichshal in these halachos,[2]  since the sins that one does in these inyunim distance a person from Torah.[3]
Kol Isha – The Voice of a Woman

The Gemorah in Berochos[4] says that the voice of a [married] woman is an ervah,[5] since it may bring a person to certain desires.[6]  According to many poskim this issur is d’rabanan in nature,[7]  and often applies to one’s wife as well.[8] One is not allowed to hear the voice of a woman while she is singing[9] even without specific intent to enjoy her voice. A woman’s non-singing voice is permitted to be heard[10] as long as one is not listening with specific intent to enjoy her voice.[11]

Single Girls

Many poskim say one is also forbidden to hear the singing voice of a single girl.[16] There is a discussion in the poskim as to what age this issur begins. Some poskim say the age starts from three,[17] others say it starts at six,[18] and others say the issur begins at nine years old.[19] Horav Moshe Feinstein zt”l[20] says in a pressing situation one can be lenient until the age of eleven.[21]


[1] Refer to Yam Shel Shlomo Kesubos 2:3, Pela Yoetz Kedusha pages 505-507 (new print), Nidchei Yisroel 23:pages 187-193 new print.

[2] Ben Ish Chai Vayichei 2:introduction, Vehatzneh Leches page 28.

[3] Refer to Mesechtas Yoma 39a. These sins also brings one to depression (K’rayna D’igrasa 1:11).

[4] 24a, Mesechtas Kiddushin 70a, see Rivevos Ephraim 5:67:page 45.

[5] Rambam Hilchos Issurei Biah 21:1, Shulchan Aruch 75:3. Refer to Avnei Yushfei 5:11 if one is allowed to listen to a voice if it sounds like a woman but it is not a woman.

[6] Rashi Mesechtas Berochos ibid: “kolech,” Meiri ibid. Refer to the Shir Hashirim 2:14.

[7] Nishmas Adom 4:1, Chelek Levi 37, Mishnah Berurah 17, Aruch Ha’shulchan 560:9, Kaf Ha’chaim 27, Be’er Sarim 1:29:1, Yabea Omer O.C. 1:6:10, see 1:6:8. Refer to Otzer Haposkim E.H. 21:20. See Be’er Sarim ibid who quotes some opinions that it is d’oraisa.

[8] Rama O.C. 75:3, Levush 3, Machtzis Ha’shekel. When one’s wife is impure he may not listen to her singing voice as this brings a closeness which is forbidden during the time that she is impure (Ben Ish Chai Tzav 2:25, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 153:10, Darchei Teshuva 195:35, Aruch Ha’shulchan Y.D. 195:23, Igros Moshe Y.D. 2:75, Divrei Chachumim page 253:footnote 38, Avnei Yushfei 2:5:4, Rivevos Ephraim 1:205, 4:202, Suga B’shoshanim page 205, Opinion of Horav Elyashiv Shlita quoted in Halichos Bas Yisroel 6:8:footnote 16, Badi Ha’shulchan 195:119,  Chut Shuni (Niddah) page 215, Shiurei Shevet Ha’Levi (Niddah) page 264). Refer to Teharas Habayis 2:pages 167-170 who is lenient.

 [9] Shulchan Aruch 75:3, E.H. 21:1, Chai Adom 4:6,  This issur applies even if one is used to hearing a womans voice (Yabea Omer O.C. 1:6:11:pages 21-22). This also applies to parts of davening that she may sing (Refer to Yufei Leleiv 1:75:3). `

[10]  Rashba Mesechtas Berochos 25a,  Bais Yosef O.C. 75, Rama, Levush 3, Elya Rabbah 75:5,  Shulchan Aruch Harav 3, Bais Shmuel E.H. 21:4, Chai Adom 4:6.

[11] Mishnah Berurah 18.
[16] Magen Avraham 75:6, Be’er Heitiv 9, Bais Shmuel E.H. 21:4, Mishnah Berurah 75:17, see Pri Megadim M.Z. 75:2 who is lenient.

[17] Refer to Shulchan Shlomo 75:3, Salmas Chaim 93, Rivevos Ephraim 7:page 246, Ishei Yisroel 55:footntoe 99. Refer to Ben Ish Chai Bo 1:13. The Chazon Ish O.C. 16:8 says there is no set age.

[18] Ben Ish Chai Bo 1:13, see Oz Vehador L’vusha page 47, Laws Of Daily Living 1:pages 84-85:footnote 52.

[19] Halichos Shlomo Tefilla 20:footnote 20, Halichos Bas Yisroel 6:footntoe 1.

[20] Igros Moshe O.C. 1:26, see Biur Halacha 75 “tefach.”

[21] Ohr L’tzyion 2:6:footnote 13. Refer to Mishnah Berurah 75:17 who says besulos who start reaching their time of period are ervahs. Some say this is 12 years old (Divrei Chachumim page 252:36 quoting the opinion of Horav Sheinberg Shlita, Toras Histaklus page 39).