A few of my friends of Hassidic background have told me that there is a minhag in the Hassidic world to not whistle with the mouth at all - weekdays, Shabbos, no difference. I am trying to find the sources and the reason for this hakpadah.
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http://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/3340/759 Maybe your friends are pulling your leg – Double AA Jan 27 '17 at 20:36
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1@DoubleAA. I read the long article and the sicha of the Rebbe in that link. I found it very enlightening. However, I was asking about people who do have this hakpadah - apparently due to the fear of attracting demons or something like that - as I learned from one of the answers given. While I appreciate what the Lubavitcher Rebbe said, he's not the final answer to all our questions. Are you saying that there's no such hakpadah at all in any Hassidic circles? – Mark A. Jan 29 '17 at 04:19
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maybe you should ask them for the reason since they are claiming to have this minhag... – Dude Feb 19 '17 at 07:46
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From Rav Avigdor Miller - His Life and His Revolution by Rav Yaakov Hamburger (Page 468)
He constantly warned against imitating gentile ways, even if they were not technically forbidden. He was once asked about whistling. He answered, "There is nothing wrong and there is everything wrong. There is nothing wrong because it is not ossur. There is everything wrong because it is a gentile behavior and we don't do what they do."
Mark A.
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While all this is what the chassidim say, a goy fifes, the fact of the matter is that in skver camp the play with a triangle ball because using a round ball is goyish. So it's very hard to decide what's goyish and what's not. Long pants are goyish but cars are not? – user6591 Jan 29 '17 at 19:12
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2I don't see how this answers the question, which sought sources and reasons for hasidim's not whistling. Rabbi Miller was not a hasid. – msh210 Jan 29 '17 at 21:39
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Even if nowadays there is such a "minhag", obviously, in Chazal times there was no such thing (since it is never mentioned, and such a prevalent thing cannot be not mentioned).
This opinion is seemingly worried about whistling more than about speaking negatively about whistling (people).
The whistling itself is a wondrous creation of Hashem, it can be inspiring the connection to Hashem, it can be way more silent than singing, it is the same tone for every person.
So, in many ways, it is more tzniesdig than singing.
– Binyomin Oct 24 '20 at 20:56
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The poskim at http://dinonline.org/2010/04/15/whistling/ write,
"There is no source either way about whistling. It all depends on the how / why it is done, if it is done as פריקת עול it’s Assur – “Es Hashem Elokecha Tira”, but if not there is no reason to Assur. [See also Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 338, where the Remo”h permits whistling on Shabbos, which implies that there is certainly no prohibition to whistle on a weekday]"
Perhaps there's a 'lo plug' across the board for certain chassidim to prevent any potential whistling issues like פריקת עול.
2) Perhaps there one must consider whether he is drawing unwanted attention to himself by making a noticeable noise. Not that it would be a lacking in modesty to whistle, but I could understand why a group would want to avoid drawing such attention themselves.
NJM
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...nice image 2) brings up!!...a group after a celebration walking along whistling "If I Were A Rich Man" , "Hava Nagila", and other favorites... – Gary Jan 28 '17 at 04:58