Avraham Fried: Leaker of Song Should Ask Forgiveness

An unauthorized recording of Avraham Fried singing an unfinished new song for his upcoming album was leaked to social media by an unidentified person.

The illicit recording of the song, titled ‘Ribon Ha’olamim,’ likely originated from someone who was present at the time in the studio.

Upon his discovery that the recording had been released, the Chasidic singing star made the following statement:

“I am shocked  that this song was released without my knowledge and without my approval.

This song, when complete, is intended to be included in my next Hasidic album.

I suggest those who released the song without my knowledge – ask me for forgiveness before Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.”

31 Comments

  • I pledge

    I pledge not to search for this song, and do my best not to listen to it until its official release.

    • Chaim

      Just because it’s done all the time or “everybody is doing it”, that doesn’t make it right!

      And who cares?
      The person who worked hard on this product cares and so should you…the world is round, if you don’t care when it happens to others….

  • Hypo

    Avremel you are a real chossid, dont worry we all watiting your new album we going to BUY IT and enjoy it!!!

    • If you pledge

      If you pledge to eat cholent seven days a week I’ll stick to negunim.

  • sw

    the preciousness of life is in holding back at certain times. Whomever did this, has huge major boundary weaknesses. How sad. Avraham Fried would never do that to anyone.

  • CHT

    Forgiveness is free, what about a monitory loss. This is a Chosid, he requests so little.

    If he does not ask, sue the jerk. Let him learn the lesson. Not about gneiva, but about how to not recognize the unearned chesed that is given to you.

  • to CHT/15

    SUE YOUR OWN FELLOW JEW? SORRY BUT NOT TO THAT EXTENT THATS im sorry but disgusting to do and i dont think AVRAHAM FRIED WOULD EVER DO THIS HE is the nicest guy around these day

  • K

    When a person sings a song and it flows into the world’s sound waves, it is in the public domain.

    When the delicious aroma of my wife’s fresh baked challas are released into the atmosphere, anyone can enjoy the smell without the need of my wife’s permission.

    Smells, sights or sounds, once set loose is free for all to enjoy.

    Yes there are secular rules of copyright but the Torah does not grant such protection (Rabbinical protection is only extended to authors of Torah seforim to protect and encourage their investment of time and effort for Torah publications and this is done via a rabbinical “cherem” for a limited duration – example: see intro to Tanya). Indeed there might be no issur whatsoever in copying music CD’s or videos (see Rabbi Zalman Goldberg of Jerusalem’s Bais Din has a lengthy discussion on the topic).

    In any event, an “unpublished” song, when sung into the atmosphere can be recorded and is free for the taking by anyone, just as I can photograph you, even though I do not “own” you, or any other scene which is publicly accessible and viewable.

    You might consider yourself “private” and might be upset that I took “your” picture, but there is NOTHING wrong with it!.

    Furthermore, from another perspective, this “raw” song now has extra publicity, and will increase the popularity and therefore revenues. As such, there is no financial loss – neither direct or “grama” (indirect).

    Maybe the recorder deserves a thank you from the artist for the publicity and hype he created – which is of monetary value. Indeed he deserves some compensation for the increased revenues he generated.

    When a person enters your domain and increases the value of your property, even when unauthorized, you have a (limited) responsibility to compensate that person for the enrichment he created for you. Unless the “improvement” is actually a detriment to you.

    Maybe that is why the artist is kvetching so much…to escape HIS own liability!

    For those of you who disagree with this analysis, that is because you simply do not have the Choshem Mishpat sense to such issues. After all, da’as bal habayis does not correlate with daas Torah.

    • Rosha

      Only someone from S’dom would twist this around to the krum logical point that AF should pay this ganef. You are a rosha from S’dom! You are novol b’reshus haTorah. You are a zoken mamreh.I am disgusted with your comment.

    • He volunteered

      And he was not hiered So he does not deserve compensation, a thank you (ecnolegment) is enough

    • K

      “he was not hiered” (SIC – hired!)

      This is a perfect example of total am haratzus displaying ignorance of din:
      היורד לתוך שדה חברו ונטעה שלא ברשות
      בבא מציעא קא א,
      Rav and Shmuel discuss the compensation amount due to the “yored” (even though “he was not hired”).
      See Choshen Mishpat s. 375:1.

  • replying...

    K has his/her own “torah” according to litvish view and a phycologist point of view so nothing anyone will proove or disagree with him/her, he’ll/she’ll tell you “you are wrong” when REALLY its him/her. so forget it! some pple just need G-d to help and save them -SPEEDLY!

    • K

      I am overwhelmed by the depth of your intelligence. There are some shotim in this world. They have a king. I nominate you.

    • replying to k

      My intelligence is based on the teachings of the Previous Lubavitch Rebbe who said “the world covers up the light of truth within man to the point where he becomes so coarse and so materially oriented that he loses every trace of spiritual perceptiveness. this is contrary course of behavior is brought about when a person is dominated by his animal soul(yatzer hara) which is firmly fixed and rooted in worldly desires. that is its nature and goal. that is what such a person ponders on and thinks snd speaks about with zest. exercise of these feelings and in particular the pleasures of this world negates the divine soul’s sensitivity to G-dliness. this happens mainly because the animal soul is intrinsically frigid with respect to spiritual matters. that is how the animal soul is constituted. its very nature the animal soul describes it. all its vigor and all its feelings are directes only toward things that are animal in nature. this is what we in fact oberve in pple who are dominated by their animal nature: not only are they devoid of the Torah’s wisdom and of upright character but moreover act like animals trampling and scorning spiritual matters of which they have no conception. like an animal that lacks the sensitivity or the discernment to know whether it’s trampling on the ground or plants or on men these ppl scoff at the Torah and mitzvos. some of these pple choose their own paths: one mitzvah they decide to observe and another mitzvah they spurn and so on. this behavior results from the brazeness and cold insensitivity of the animal soul and the spirit of folly that induces. they can cover the light of truth to the degree where a person will sin thus achieving the very opposite of the divine plan for creation. for G-d desired that the world be created in order that it be refined thus becoming a a place for His presence.”

    • K

      You are writing about “light” when your own dim chandelier has a few burned out bulbs.

      Quoting others does not demonstrate intelligence any more than a tape recorder or a parrot. Intelligence is owned, not borrowed.

      Blind belief is the death of intelligence.

      Although intelligence has limitations, the lack of it is unlimited.

    • replying to k

      As usual i will disagree. a person can be born with intelligence. yet when being connected on a personal level with the Rebbe the potential that a person has in intelligence or any of the person’s makeup grows. yes a lot of pple learn torah as a parrot or as a nicer term book knowledge.my intelligence is from learning the Rebbe’s teachings the way as an example Rabbi akiva. he was not born with intelligence yet his full potential was there and his wife brought it out from within him.

  • RUDE!!!

    This really rude and disappointing. how would you feel if that happened to you? i think who ever did this should apologize right away. and again, this is someone livelihood you’re talking about.

  • RUDE!!!

    This really rude and disappointing. how would you feel if that happened to you? i think who ever did this should apologize right away..

  • I actualy feel bad!

    why embarres the poor guy in public if A.F would have dealed with him normaly im sure the guy if he has a good mind would apoligize but.. i certainly do not think it was neccesary to do such a think who know the guy who did it could have saw it somewere on a hackers website or something and decided oh look what i just saw from A.F maybe the guy didnt know A.F’s song to well and thought it was a old one im sorry but i feel bad for the guy more then the leaked song evreyone stop stabbing the guy in the back who did it already! he is already embarres enoph and i do not blame the guy if he doesnt come up and say anything bc he may be scared it would be posted on social media and he is runed for life already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS HORRIBLE THAT NOENE FEELS THIS WAY FOR THE POOR GUY WHO IS ABOUT TO LOSE IS REPUTATION FOR LIFE do not know if the guy did it on purpose or not it is not fore me to judge, i know some people who know A.F they say he is the nicest/hublest guy around i feel very bad for A.F!

    again i am not jugding :P

  • Apology

    On behalf of the villain, I am taking the position of his shaliach which is “kmoso”, Although not officially appointed his shaliach, zochin l’adom shelo b’fonov, I step up to the plate to do what is right on his behalf. I extend an apology to AF. This apology comes without admission of any expressed or implied civil or criminal liability. It is an apology for behaviour which could have and maybe should have been avoided. Now that this apology has been given, the matter should end, as all is forgiven.