Q. I need to go jogging in order to keep myself from gaining weight but I need the music to keep me running. can I listen to music for this purpose? My wife seems to remember hearing from some Rav in her youth that this is permitted.

A. Indeed there are Poiskim who permit listening to music that is not played for the sake of enjoyment or pleasure, as one who employs workers that listen to the radio as they work, or music that is played for a child to calm him to sleep. (Nitey Gavriel , Bein Hametzorim ch. 15, 8-13). Some Poiskim understand the music prohibition as only what conduces to joy and dancing, and permit classical music, played for soothing and comforting the soul. (Shoalin Vedorshim p. 245).

However many hold music in the three weeks to be a prohibition by itself. Mikdash Isroel (Bein Hametzorim 7-23) addresses this specific question of playing music while exercising, and prohibits even when done for health reasons. His reasoning is, that for the short period involved (at least during the nine days), it could be and should be avoided, in honour and remembrance of the churban Bais Hamikdosh.

Horav Shlomo Millers Shlit”a, point of view is that it is preferable to follow this last opinion.

Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a.