QUESTION: When this lecture goes on, so the curtain on the top half of the ezras noshim is opened up. Is that al pi hahalacha?
ANSWER: And the answer is that according to my pshat it is. It could be somebody will say no but according to my pshat it is. Because we have a mechitzah ten tefachim high, so that’s a purpose of the mechitzah, there shouldn’t be any mixing. Fine. They’re seated separately we are seated separately. We have a mechitza between us, even when the curtain is open.
that when it comes to davenen, so some people turn around during davening, sometimes they face the other direction at davenen, so the curtain is closed up.
So, the mechitzah, as a technicality of ten tefachim high that we always have. It’s ten tefachim high; more than ten tefachim high. It’s a separation. But the other technicality, not to be able to look, we don’t look because we are all facing me. During the lecture you are all facing me. If you do turn around and look, it’s none of your business. Who told you to turn around and look?
(July 23, 1998)
