The Shu”t Birchas Reuven Shlomah (Vol. 1, siman 117) was asked, if one is stuck and he needs to walk in-between two women is it better to speak to them and ask them to move, or is it better to avoid talking and just walk in-between them? He answered: If one can hint at them to move that’s best, if not, then it depends on the situation, and how important it is to get past them. He brings a story with HaRav HaGaon HaTzadik R’ Dovid HaLevi Yungreis zt”l who once did not go to cheder when he was a young child. When he was asked the next day why he did not come, he answered very simply that on the way to cheder there were two women standing in the way, and he didn’t want to walk in-between them as doing so causes one to forget his learning, and he didn’t want to forget what he had learnt, therefore, he went to learn in a nearby shul instead.
R' Elya Lopian was very particular about the above, and if he needed to walk between two girls who were playing, he would hint to them to move with his stick.
Does Holding Something Help?
The Chut Shoni (Even HaEzer, siman 21, pg. 70) writes that to walk in-between two women whilst holding something doesn’t help, and there needs to be a mechitzah [partition], or at least the majority of a mechitzah in-between the women and the man. However, the sefer Shemiras HaGuf V’Hanefesh (siman 111, sif 12) brings from the sefer Zichron Toiv that if one must walk in-between two women, he should hold a stick or some other item in his hand. If he doesn’t have this, he should take hold of his peyos, as this is considered an interruption.
In a he’orah he writes, that when they told that Chazon Ish that some say holding a stick or some other item helps, he said that perhaps it helps if the item is four tefochim wide and ten tefochim high.
In Shu”t Salmas Chaim (Inyonim Shonim, siman 85) R’ Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld was asked if holding a stick helps, and he answered it seems that it doesn’t help, as the Gemara makes no mention of it helping.
In Sheilas Rav (Vol. 1, Perek 16, ois 12) R’ Chaim Kanievsky was asked if there is a car between the two women if it helps, or does there need to be something fixed? R’ Chaim said a car is ok.
The Shu”t Mishnas Yosef (6:3) writes: Nowadays where it’s uncommon to walk around with sticks, meticulous people when entering a place where they need to walk in-between two women, take a small sefer and hold it by their side, and it’s better than a stick, as the zechus of Torah adds extra protection. He adds: If one holds a big sefer, it’s even better and it literally serves to make an interruption.
If holding a stick or an item in one’s hand helps to make an interruption, then seemingly it would work if one of the women is holding something as well. If so, the issue of walking in-between two women is virtually not relevant nowadays, as women often walk around with a purse or handbag.
