Voice Overs

Prepared for print by Faigy Peritzman

We live in an apartment where it’s possible for others to hear our zemiros through our open windows. Is this a problem if the whole family is singing together? Do I have to be careful not to be louder than anyone else?

Since a woman’s singing voice can be attractive and distracting to a man, it’s considered — on a rabbinical level — as if she’s improperly exposing herself. The halachah therefore states that kol ishah, a woman’s singing voice, is considered to be an ervah. Since you live in an area where men can hear your singing voice through open windows, it’s your responsibility to make sure that your voice will not be heard louder than anyone else in the family. But if your voice blends in with the others, then it is of no consequence.

Does the prohibition of kol ishah apply to one’s wife, daughter, or granddaughter?

There are two separate prohibitions, often confused, involved with kol ishah:

1) A man may not recite Krias Shema, daven, or learn Torah if he can hear the singing of any female — including his wife or any blood relative.

2) Even when not davening or learning, a man may not hear the singing voice of any female who is married, or any single girl who is over the age of 11. A man’s wife, daughter, and granddaughter are not included in this second prohibition.