First of all, I made a typo in my last post. It should have said “furry,” not “funny.”

Now, you want to use dictionary definitions to define halacha. That’s not the way it works. Why does the Torah list bats among non-kosher birds? Bats aren’t birds! Shouldn’t we know bats are unkosher mammals because they don’t chew their cud and have split hooves? But the Torah isn’t using the scientific classification system of phylum, genus, species, etc. It’s using the humanly intuitive system of “things that fly.” Similarly, there is an intuitive difference between music (which is something played on in instrument and is not permitted during sefirah and the Three Weeks) and singing (which is a series of sounds that comes out of your face and is permitted). If you don’t see a difference, then fine. Don’t sing during sefirah or the Three Weeks. For that matter, you’d better not sing on Shabbos. And, as long as we’re using dictionary definitions, here’s another one for music:

An aesthetically pleasing or harmonious combination of sounds: the music of the wind

so you’d better stay indoors, too.

Clearly, I’m playing around, but I can’t give you a chapter and verse where music is defined in halacha. (Maybe someone else can, but not me.) But remember what Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said about obscenity. He said that he couldn’t define obscenity but “I know it when I see it.” Similarly, I may not be able to define music to your satisfaction, but I know it when I hear it.

“And that’s all I have to say about that.” - Forrest Gump

I’m not talking about listening to your own singing, I’m talking about listening to someone else --a proffesional—sing (and shabbos doesn’t really count. After all, you can eat meat during the nine days on Shabbos, so why shouldn’t you be able to listen to music?) . According to your reasoning, would it be perfectly permissible to go to a chazzanus concert, assuming that there are no instruments, or to a choir?  It just doesn’t seem right.

My point is that, unless someone knows the logic or the sources behind this halacha, to me at least, it seems like a very arbitrary point to draw the line.

<< I’m not talking about listening to your own singing, I’m talking about listening to someone else --a proffesional—sing >>

What’s the difference? You can’t play the clarinet or the piano for enjoyment during sefirah, just like you can’t listen to somebody else do it!

<< (and shabbos doesn’t really count. After all, you can eat meat during the nine days on Shabbos, so why shouldn’t you be able to listen to music?) . >>

I wasn’t referring to Shabbos during sefirah or the 3 Weeks - I meant every Shabbos when music is prohibited, but singing is okay.

<< According to your reasoning, would it be perfectly permissible to go to a chazzanus concert, assuming that there are no instruments, or to a choir?  It just doesn’t seem right. >>

It is permissible. Kosher hotels with reliable halachic standards have a capella during the 3 Weeks. But I’m personally not comfortable popping in an a capella CD during sefirah, so I don’t. (It feels like “letter of the law, but not spirit of the law” to me.) But I wouldn’t tell someone else that they can’t.

<<What’s the difference? You can’t play the clarinet or the piano for enjoyment during sefirah, just like you can’t listen to somebody else do it!>>

You can’t? I was under the impression that playing an instrument was permitted for practicing. Even the best musicians improve a little the more they play. For me, even “practicing” is enjoyable. And singing in and of itself is unique in that sense, because when a person sings, the sounds that he hears is different from the sound that everyone else hears, although I’m not sure that would make a difference.

<<I wasn’t referring to Shabbos during sefirah or the 3 Weeks - I meant every Shabbos when music is prohibited, but singing is okay.>>

The reason for the prohibition against music on Shabbos, as I’m sure you are well aware of, is a gezeira made because if people would play instruments on Shabbos, they would be tempted to fix them thereby performing the melacha of tikkun kli. The prohibition there isn’t because it’s music, per se’ but rather because musical instruments are objects subject to breaking. Although, it should be noted, I believe that there are those who do include singing in the prohibition (maybe among Briskers, I’m not sure) because they didn’t want to make a distinction between different forms of making music. There are also many who won’t even clap their handson Shabbos for the same reason, based on the opinion of Rashi (in Maseches Beitza I believe, and possibly Shabbos as well). One might think that clapping hands is not a form of making music, but many people hold that it is enough of a form of music to include it in thistakana. And even Tosafos who dissented with Rashi, I believe (this is from memory, I haven’t looked at it inside for a long time now, so I could be wrong on many of these points) only disagreed because he held that people nowadays are not experts in fixing instruments and not because he felt that clapping hands was not a musical endeavor. So it would seem that the halachic definition of music is fairly broad.

<<It is permissible. Kosher hotels with reliable halachic standards have a capella during the 3 Weeks. But I’m personally not comfortable popping in an a capella CD during sefirah, so I don’t. (It feels like “letter of the law, but not spirit of the law” to me.) But I wouldn’t tell someone else that they can’t. >>

That’s another problem. The whole thing is a minhag. A strictly halachic definition of music (which I am still altogether unconvinced that it excludes singing), isn’t even the issue here. The point is that we’re trying to commemorate the death of Rabbi Akiva’s students. If people are just running out and buying a cappella CDs and listening to choirs for their “sefira music” doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose?

>> <<What’s the difference? You can’t play the clarinet or the piano for enjoyment during sefirah, just like you can’t listen to somebody else do it!>>

>> You can’t? I was under the impression that playing an instrument was permitted for practicing.

You CAN play for practice. I was very specific when I said you can’t play for ENJOYMENT. (If you’re playing for practice, you’re allowed to enjoy it incidentally.)

>> The reason for the prohibition against music on Shabbos, as I’m sure you are well aware of, is a gezeira…

(I didn’t feel like quoting the whole thing.) I think you prove my point. Because of the Shabbos-music gezeira, many people don’t dance or clap, etc. on Shabbos - the gezeira is not just limited to instruments. But it does NOT include singing. Could it be that singing isn’t part of that “fairly broad” halachic definition of music?

>> If people are just running out and buying a cappella CDs and listening to choirs for their “sefira music” doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose?

I told you that I, personally, wasn’t comfortable with it, but that doesn’t make it asur. I also happen to think that Pesach noodles and pizza defeat the purpose, but if they’re kosher l’Pesach, they’re kosher l’Pesach.

Who was Forrest Gump?

Seriously? He was a character played by Tom Hanks in the movie “Forrest Gump.” Whenever he was finished with a topic, he would say, “And that’s all I have to say about that.”

why do people listen to music on yom haazmaut even though it is during the omer wether you go from pesach till lag baomer or rosh chodesh till shavuos?

indeed this is an excellent question...i might suggest asking those people for their rationale...as far as i’m aware, there is no such hetter, but i could be wrong.