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While I don’t agree with the policy of many frum magazines to not include pictures of women in their magazines, I understand it. While (if I understand the halacha correctly) it’s not prohibited for a man to see a woman who is dressed tzanu’a in general, it would be prohibited for man to look at a woman (even one who is dressed tzanu’a) if he is inappropriately attracted to that visual. While the percentage of men who would be inappropriately attracted to that visual is likely small (especially among the readership of frum magazines), there are likely some who would be nichshal. In an effort to avoid causing it’s readership to violate aveiros, the policy is to refrain from printing pictures of any woman in their magazines.
However, what I don’t understand is why they print advertisements in their magazines. Most readers read these magazines on Shabbos and (if I understand the halacha correctly) it is prohibited from anyone to read or look at advertisements on Shabbos. It is likely that far more people are nichshal by reading advertisements (or even recipes) on Shabbos then men who would be nichshal by pictures of tzanua women. If the magazines were serious about not causing people to be nichshal, wouldn’t the refraining of printing advertisements be a more logical step?
The cost of not printing advertisements would cause the cost of the magazine to be prohibitive to the reader. All printed newspapers and magazines cover most of their costs with advertising, not the news stand price or subscriptions.
What about all the inappropriate articles the so-called “frum” magazines print?
Just the other week one of the major frum magazines had an article of “Off The Derech or Alternative Derech”.
Lol
“However, what I don’t understand is why they print advertisements in their magazines”
$$$$$
Now you understand.This is the same exact reason why they don;’t put pictures. they owuld lose money as it has become not “frum” to have them
“Most readers read these magazines on Shabbos and (if I understand the halacha correctly) it is prohibited from anyone to read or look at advertisements on Shabbos…”
What marketing study or credible evidence is there that “most readers” read these newspapers or magazines only on Shabbos?? If we extend your logic, it would be assur to sell many products which are muktzah or whose use might be assur on Shabbos. For example, a frum yid might have the time on Shabbos to use his/her cellphone (even a kosher phone) to call mishpacha or friends to just schmooze, something they might not have time to do during the week. Should we ban the sale of kosher cellphones because some ehrliche yid might call his shver on Shabbos?
I agree 100%. I know the magazines need the money what I think is the problem is many are lax in this area or don’t know the halacha
silly comparison…. printing ads are not assur. if one reads it n shabbos its not the mags ahcreious….
maybe according to you one should not sell food befor yom kupper etc etc
printing pictures of noshim , that in itself is assur as lifnei iveyr.. (please lern thoroly the lo sasuru , the chinuch, aven ezer 21 before you mockIf we would have undergone the tragedy of Hillary winning the election, this would have put the newspapers that don’t print pictures of females in a complex tight spot.
I find it distasteful (no pun intended) that #1 the frum magazines print ads of taava yetzer hara inciting foods and #2 that they print ads for Pomegranate or pesach hotels next to Vaad harabanim’s starving yidden
G h
“Most readers read these magazines on Shabbos and (if I understand the halacha correctly) it is prohibited from anyone to read or look at advertisements on Shabbos…”What marketing study or credible evidence is there that “most readers” read these newspapers or magazines only on Shabbos??
Interesting how you added one little word
”only ”
To the original post in order to smash it
The poster did not say most people read it ”only ” on shabbos
The op said ”read it on shabbos ”
That is a stand alone statement that does not discuss the rest of the week as it is irrelevant to the point
Read the letters to the editor in any of these rags and see how many people state that ”their shabbos is not complete unless they have their favorite magazine. ”Simcha, what about all the disparagement of other groups of jews and talmidei chachamim? Those men should simply not read magazines.
Klugeryid….sorry for the focus on Shabbos but that is the issue here, whether they read it ONLY on Shabbos, which is not what I meant to say, predominantly on Shabbos, or frequently, the question is why would it be assur since there is readership outside of Shabbos. Sure, the readership has more leisure time on Shabbos but that argument would apply to many other products that are assur on Shabbos which we don’t seek to restrict .
Why would it be assur to have pictures of women?
It’s probably safe to grant a 50/50 audience male female.
So for half the readership there is no issue.
For the other half, many men will not sin just because there is a modest headshot of a woman.
So its probably less of an issue than reading advertisements on shabbos
Which is what the op was saying.
Your addition of that single innocent word allowed you to make an argument that did not address the issue at all.
Now you are making a new argument
Kol Hakavod
Perhaps you are correct. I don’t know.Magazine publishers are not putting ads in their publications because they are greedy. Their advertising revenues allow them to sell their magazines at a more affordable rate. Every publisher has to walk a tight rope between ad revenues and subscriber rates. Advertisers only pay if you have enough readers.
The bigger issue to me is the simple lack of women in our publications, period. The Lubavitcher Rebbe famouslh directed his publishers to go back and add girls and women to their contact children’s books. We need to show our community what it means to be a frum female leader, even if it’s in the women’s supplementary section.
The real reason that pictures of women are missing is because of the limited reach of frum magazines. In order to maintain a viable business, you need to stay broader, creating content of interest for a large community. Any magazine that publishes pictures of women is closing the door on a number of communities, and is hurting their business viability.
I read these magazines on Shabbos, and also during the week. It’s very simple – don’t look at the ads on Shabbos. You have bechirah – use it.
The food ads don’t bother me so much…it’s the wording.
I once saw an ad with the title “FOR PLEASURE SEEKERS”
Ouch, in hebrew it sounds even worse. “FOR BA’LEI TAIVAH”.OR when I see food ads that call food “heavenly”.
Um, since when did food reach the level of heaven? Heaven is for lots of things…not food.
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