By Rabbi Sholom Avtzon
In the previous two segments, I related how the Rebbe informed Malka exactly who she is, why certain things happened as well as sending her matza 10 years after she moved to a non-Jewish village and environment, which carried the message, that no matter where you are, you are still Hashem’s precious child.
In this third (and for the time being, final) segment, Malka relates how the Rebbe looked, not only for her spiritual health, but also for her physical health and well-being.
In Malka’s words:
In one of my meetings with the Rebbe by the steps in front of 770, I happened to have been very ill. At that time I was suffering from severe migraine and sinus headaches as well as painful earaches. I was sometimes in such extreme pain, that on those days I couldn’t function at all.
Obviously, I went to medical professionals for treatment and/or medications; however, whatever they tried wasn’t helping. After a period of time, the doctors were becoming worried that it is something more than migraines etc. and were concerned about my survival.
I mentioned this to Rebbe and he said that listening to non-Jewish music can badly affect a sensitive soul resulting in physical illness.
I never told the Rebbe, but at that time, I enjoyed very much to listen to popular non-Jewish music – sometimes, even for hours, it was relaxing, enjoyable and even while working I would often listen to non-Jewish music.
In order to clarify what he meant, I asked; “Does the Rebbe mean that I should only listen exclusively to Jewish or chassidic or Chabad music?”
I am unsure of the exact wording of his answer, but this was and remains my understanding: Listening to Chabad nigunim is like a healing medicine for the soul and the body.
I completely stopped listening to non-Jewish music and would make a point to listen to Chabad melodies at least once a week or more often.
Very shortly after I made that change, the illness went away for good. The treatments and medications had very little or no effect. Stopping to listen to non-Jewish music and listening to Chabad tunes was the medicine which removed the illness.
P.S. It was uplifting to read that some sons/daughters were by their parents’ seder table as a result of what I wrote. We all belong at our Fathers’ – Hashem’s table, where all sorrow will no longer be.
May He send Moshiach now!
–Rabbi Sholom Avtzon is a veteran mechanech in the United Lubavitch Yeshiva of Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn, NY. He requests that the readers of The Weekly Story participate in the annual Chinese auction of school at ulyauction.com.
Barvo! That is wonderul. I am sure it makes Malka proud and is a zchus for you, your brother, Rabi Avtzon and Malka!
in honor of my brothers bar mitzva i will never listen to music thats not chassidishe or yiddishe
and this article inspired me
We want more about Malka. Tis story is still alive and happening. Tell us all about her past and her present situation. What state does she live in? Is there a Chabad House near her?
But don’t fiool yourself that it is ok. You’ve got to be very oblivious to what you ate listening to to think that it is appropriate for someone who aspires to be frum and chassidish.
And the comment about the rebbe only writing in asei tov. Are you kidding? Or have you just uneducated? The rebbe spoke in positive language but that doesn’t mean he never said no!
Some of the above comments are seriously absurd. If you have a Tayva to listen to secular music I understand that. We live in am open world and we ate often attracted to it. But don’t say that it is the standard of a firm or chassidish Persob
This entire story is about faith and commitment. There is so much of it. It is humbling.
I saw bits of the story in various comments and 3 parts. Can we see the complete story?
Sad.but true
Zehava said she will not meet with Malka. She wrote it’s not her thing. Pity!
When will this meeting take place?
in the shulchan arch it says dont go in the ways of the goyim i think we can all agree that goyish music is the way of the goyim
I think that sums up the entire Story of Malka: Personal Growth.
The Rebbe guided her to grow and keep growing in every area of her life including making brochas and davening and yom tov and proper music… now even guiding her to Rabbonim to help in building her an eruv.
See Rebbe’s views in:
שערי הלכה ומנהג יו”ד סו”ס טז. וראה מבוא לספר הניגונים חב”ד עמ’ יז-יט
Yes I was. If it was true story of the Rebbe, why did it cause a negative response. The first two accounts were very moving, had a big impact and were a wake up call. Even if someone wanted to deny them, they only had a positive effect and were a eye opener into hashem’s true higher perspective on how things run. Then this story comes questions peoples belief and motivation they had on first two segments. I wanted right way to negate that and I had good intentions. Rabbi Sholom Avtzon afterwards confirmed to me that he can vouch… Read more »
A story about not listening to music. Just in time for Sefira.
I am hooked on secular music, kol isha included haven’t ever felt guilty about it and won’t ever stop, face it we don’t live in ghettos anymore and in our enlightened day and age the younger generation is evolving and a younger (after gimmel Tammuz) chabad is as well, so go with the flow or just keep quite.
from reading all the comments here, its clear that its not opinions, rather info of who listens to such music and who not. I.E. those who don’t listen are having a easy time resonating with this article. those who till now do, are voicing opposition! THE LESSON HERE IS CLEAR: the number one thing in life – to posses the ability to grow, to leave ones constraints, is – KNOW that you are not perfect. we all have myriads and myriads of things that we do… and guess what, there’s a lot of it that’s flawed! YES WE SHOULD ALL… Read more »
Why aren’t you all cooking for Yom Tov?
I am desperately looking for a mashpia that will allow me to listen to reggae and hip hop music. Any suggestions for such a mashpia? Please list open minded mashpia names!
This story is a home run because it got the conversation going. Vhigadita l’bincha, we must tell the story to our children. Very appropriate for Pessach! The Ben Chochom will want to know ma ha’edus…the details of how to apply it. The Ben Rasha will mock it – lochem v’lo lo. But each child needs to hear it. Good story!
I agree with 33
Speak to ur mashpia!!!!!!!
From all these comments it is clear that this story hit home and touched a raw nerve in many people. That means it is either very controversial or extremely relevant. It certainly opened the discussion. The pool is open, dive in!
Is there really a debate if goyish music is ok or not? Goyish music is bacon for a yid! Bacon is as trief as goyish music. Don’t eat bacon and still try to convince yourself that it’s ok and you are still frum and chassidish. Don’t listen to goyish music and kol ishah and think you are still frum.
Can someone be “chassidish” yet not “frum”? I know many “chassidishe” people that are not very “frum”!
is imitating secular values, beliefs and reasonings then it’s no different, just the same, only maybe it’s sung in Ivrit by an Isreali singer. Doesn’t make it permissible or better in any way.
I can’t believe the Rebbe wrote against goyish music in the Igros! I always thought the Rebbe used “positive” approaches, like add mitzvos, rather than negative, like “keep away from” avoros.
Let’s follow the logic you wrote:
” this shouldn’t be discussed in such an open way because it will make the children and teenagers think about goyisher tumah shvartzer music”
…just like the Torah shouldn’t be discussed in such an open way since it has many issurim that will make our children think about them…
Such logic is silly.
Okay honestly you can’t call yourself chassidishe and frum if that’s what you do it is a BIG deal that you don’t mind listening to women singing and usually frum people do not do this type of thing I agree with #33 100% honestly go fly a kite!
Is Israeli music ok? Eden Ben zaken, cafe shachor chazak, Moshe peretz etc?
Nice artical but i really think this shouldn’t be discussed in such an open way because it will make the children and teenagers think about goyisher tumah shvartzer music
then maybe you wouldn’t be affected by goyishkeit & that music. Mattisyahu was apparently affected by his own music, btw.
This story is not here to threaten you that if you continue listening to non-Jewish music you will get sick. It’s here to illustrate that it could have a negative physical effect other than the obv
The Rebbe addresses the disastrous affect of Goyishe music, in an amazing reply to a famous bandleader (printed in Likutei Sichos volume 38 page 179 and Igros Kodesh volume 29 page 259). Following are excerpts (free translation): ” THE PRESENT REALITY IS, THAT THE POPULAR MUSIC THAT CAPTURES HEARTS AND HAS CAPTURED THE ‘MARKET’, IS NOT ONLY SECULAR, BUT FURTHERMORE, THE ESTABLISHED APPROACH OF THIS MUSIC IS TO IMPACT THE LISTENERS’ YETZER HORA, DESTROYING EXISTING LIMITATIONS AND ORDER (INCLUDING, AND TO OUR VERY GREAT PAIN, MAINLY, IN THE AREA OF TZNIUS) ETC. THIS IS PIKUACH NEFESH MAMOSH (LITERALLY LIFE THREATENING)… Read more »
On the YU Torah website you can hear YU’s Rosh Yeshiva tell the YU student body that non-Jewish music is damaging to the Neshama and (even) Modern Orthodox people should not listen to it.
The ears are a gateway into the body. Things can enter our body through the ears.
Also, listening to loud music can damage the ears. Included, ear pods on high volume.
Ears are obviously connected to sinus cavities, head aches, migraines.
Connect the dots.
You should contact Rabbi Avtzan. He seems to be in contact with Malka and can probably give you her phone number. But what is it that you must talk to her about? I am curious.
You may not be aware, but Shulchan aruch doesn’t allow a person to see non tznius images, are there any movies that don’t fall into this category? chassidus most certainly doesn’t allow it unless it’s tznius and helping your Avodas Hashem. Here’s just a thought, we all have our flaws and challenges even if we are mekusher and frum in other areas but as a chossid we should never be satisfied with our current level, we should recognize our weeknesses and work on growing to do more. This is the way of a chossid. And if behashgocha protis you are… Read more »
The fact that you find it so hard to stop goyish music shows what a big deal it is….It’s really offensive to tell someone that has lived through an experience that it isn’t true…Commenters please think twice before you post, this may be a hard lesson for you to accept but to retort with a negative comment about the validity of the story in order to feel better about your actions isn’t the right way to go. It is clear that non Jewish music has a negative impact on its listeners….And yes listening to it definitely does make you less… Read more »
You call yourself “chassidishe”?! You call yourself “frum”?! What makes you chassidish or frum if you watch movies and lisren to kol isha?? You are fooling yourself and living a lie while being spiritually bankrupt.
Malka,
Is there any way that I can contact you directly (or through this website)? It is very very important. Please! I must talk to you.
Tamar
it is said of Acher, the heretic, that he was always filled with greek music
I love all music. I am a chassidish bochur. I am a frum bochur. But I enjoy all music. And even if a woman is singing, I don’t mind. It does not make me less chassidish or less frum. Every movie I watch has music and sometimes has women singing. So it is no big deal.
Migraine or not, I know from personal experience, and from friends that non Jewish music DEFINITELY affects you negatively.
The fact that you took everything else she said at face value but then questioned the validity of this particular account, shows how deeply entrenched you are in the alluring but extremely horrific music you’re listening to.
I’m comforted by the fact that you’re arguing this out, on the other hand, because it goes to show how deep down you KNOW it’s wrong and you feel guilty.
Please share more about Malka and what she can tell us about her life and encounters with Rebbe. She must have a very lofty soul. She lives a life of inspiration! Please keep the story going!
We all believe that the Rebbe has his way of getting his meassage to us. Clearly Malka’s story is giving us a message from the Rebbe. The strong resistance only proves that it is important to get this message. It is obvious that davka now we are getting this story that happened so many years ago because davka now we need to hear it. So let us LISTEN.
Does that mean no more Malka story??? 🙁
I am a frum bachur and i enjoy regular music, ppl stop sweating the small stuff, choose your own standards and let others be
A song effects and connects your soul to the one who composed the song.
The song is spiritual it is the body of the neshama. That’s why it is so strong and hard to disconnect!! Yes it’s hard but worth it!
There are enough songs our there no need to listen to goyesher music. We eat kosher keep shabbos… and how about feeding our neshama kosher music!
I grew up with secular music and it caused many bad thoughts in my mind. Why are you skeptical that whatever we see or hear effects us either positively or negatively? Maybe the Rebbe did not commonly offer this advice, but do you think the Rebbe’s guidance was in cookie cutter style?
The goyish music you are listening to definitely affects you in a negative way…Whether you realize this or not.
I think its more that she was getting migraines, and then beginning to listen to only Jewish music is what fixed it. Not that the non Jewish music was causing the migraines…..
As I see this third segment, the following comes to mind:( since anyone can write what they want on this website) I don’t recall him repeating this, when he said it over in 770 on yud alef nissan. Why would he request to the readers of The Weekly Story participate in the annual Chinese auction of school at ulyauction.com?
Is there available any contact info for Malka? A phone number or email address? I would like to speak to her. It’s important!
The Rebbe said publicly (if I remember correctly, it was connected to the 71 mosdos established in his honor) that libraries should include Chabad music and music “of the Poilishe Rebbes”, exclusively.
It is well known that music is the “pen of the soul”, and connects the singer to the soul of the composer.
Is Matisyahu considered “Jewish music”? Is Avrohom Fried considered a “Lubavitch music”? What about Benny Friedman? 8th Day? What makes music “Jewish” or “Lubavitch”? If Bruchtshtad or Cunnin makes a song does it become “Lubavitch”?
They’re just as Jewish as jingle bells and all the other x-mas songs which were mostly made by Jews
Trust me, frum people in all communities don’t listen to goyish music. It’s grand time Chabad goes back to its roots as a frum, al achas kama vekama, Chassidish group…
no mattisyahu is not considered jewihs. its probably preferable to listen to certain non jewish singers than to listen to him
Are you dismissing it to ease your conscience.
Do you really think the Rebbe wants us or allows us to listen to non-Jewish music?
Don’t we all know that Chassidus explains that niggun is the expression of the soul.
But I won’t ever give up goyish music.
k.i.t.
Is this a horaah proti applicable only to Malka or is this a horaah klali applicable to all? If someone doesn’t suffer from migraines, earaches or sinus headaches, can they listen to non-Jewish music? It really is a lot to ask for everyone to just stop listening to such music.
And when the Rebbe instructed individuals to check their tefillin or mezuzah’s and it was found that a letter was missing from their tefillin or mezuzah and after being rectified, the illness etc disappears is that a lesson to others as well?
Impossible – great made up story!
One woman got migraines, i don’t think one case dictates “the effect” of non Jewish music.
This was a great story. Thank you.
Goyish music is bad for your neshama
that’s so amazing, thanks for sharing
Is Mozart or Beethoven also damaging to the sensitive soul? What “defines” Jewish music? Is Mattisyohu considered Jewish music?
Music of a niggun is medicine. That is so true! Everything we see or smell or hear – enters our bodies and effects us. If the music has kedusha – a positive effect. If c”v the music is tuma, it damages us on every level. Seems simple but until we are told about it, we may not realize. Rebbe spoke of effect of Medel the Mouse in old Olomeinu Children’s Magazine. Rebbe spoke against children seeing tumay animals. Now the Rebbe speaks of listening to tumay music. It hurts not just the neshama but the guf (of sensitive people).