Note: These Halachos are just as important for men to learn and know, as they are for women.
...Continued from previous week
1) During the daytime hours, one shomer is adequate. Therefore, during the day, a man may be alone with a woman and her child. During the nighttime, however, two Shomrim are required.
Nighttime does not begin at sunset or Tzeis HaKochavim, rather at the time when children usually go to sleep, as from that time we are worried that one of the children may fall asleep and not be able to be a Shomer anymore.
However with two children, as long as the door to the room is open, even if both children fall asleep there is always the fear that one of them will awaken. (See Shu"t Chasam Sofer Even HaEzer Vol. 2 Siman 96, Aruch HaShulchan Even HaEzer Siman 22:6, Shu"t Panim MeIros Vol. 2 Siman 131. Rav Simcha Bunim Cohen shlita quotes Rav Yechezkael Roth shlita that the door to the room needs to be open)
2) When an adequate Shomer is present, Yichud is permitted even when it is "Libo Gas Ba", when the man and woman are close to one another and have a personal relationship, as we detailed previously. (See Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzer Siman 148:2)
3) A man may not be alone with two women. (See Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzer Siman 22:5 and Taz S"K 4)
The Poskim debate whether a man may be alone with 3 adult women, and some allow it if it is during the daytime/early evening hours. This leniency should only be relied upon in cases of great necessity, and after speaking to a Rav for guidance. (See Shulchan Aruch and Rama Siman 22:5. See also Igros Moshe Even HaEzer Vol. 4 Siman 65:14 and 20 where Rav Moshe Feinstein Zatzal rules stringently in this matter)
4) However, according to all Poskim, a man may be alone with three girls who are all between the ages 5 until 9.
Regarding one man being alone with two girls, ages 5 until 9, it isn't clear from the Poskim if this is better than 2 adult women or if it is the same problem, and it is best to be stringent. (See Sefer Dvar Halacha Siman10:5)
5) A woman may be alone with a man if the man's mother, daughter or sister is also present. (See Shu"t Igros Moshe Even HaEzer Vol. 2 Siman 15 end of Dibur Hamaschil V'Hinay Af and end of Dibur Hamaschil V'Hinay Matzasi, and Vol. 4 Siman 65:8. This was also the Psak of the Chazon Ish. Other Poskim including the Chida, Hafla'ah and Z'Chor L'Avraham were more stringent and did not allow this.)
Their presence eliminates the problems of Yichud even if the woman in question is "Libo Gas Ba" (Rav Yaakov Forchheimer shlita)
However, the above is only during the daytime hours, as during the night time an additional Shomer would be required besides the man's mother/daughter/sister. (See Rama Even HaEzer Siman 22:5 and Chazon Ish Hilchos Ishus Siman 34:3)
6) Likewise, a woman may be alone with a man (even Libo Gas Ba) during the daytime hours if her father, son or brother is also present. During the night time hours an additional Shomer is necessary.
The exception to the above is a woman who is alone with a man and her son is present in the home, where according to many Poskim no additional Shomer is required even at night, as her son's presence alone is an adequate deterrent. (See Pischei Teshuva Siman 22:2. See also Shu"t Ein Yitzchak Even HaEzer Vol. 1 Siman 77:6)
7) A man may be alone with any woman if his wife is also present in the home, as his wife is his ideal Shomeres. (Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzer Siman 22:3)
A man's wife is an adequate Shomeres even during the night time hours. (See Mishna Kidushin 80b and Tosefos Dibur Hamaschil R' Shimon and Pnei Yehoshua's commentary on that Tosefos)
8) According to many Poskim, the above is true only if his wife is actually with him in the same house or at least in the same courtyard, and simply having the wife in the city does not work [unlike in the reverse, where a woman's husband being in the city can be an adequate shmira] (See Shulchan Aruch ibid.. See also Igros Moshe Even HaEzer Vol. 4 Siman 65:6, Prisha Yoreh Deah Siman 245:20. See Bais Shmuel on Shulchan Aruch ibid. S"K 22 who seems to rule that if the wife is in the city it does indeed help. See also Aruch HaShulchan Even HaEzer Siman 22:15 and Sh'arim Metzuyanim B'Halacha in his commentary to Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Siman 152:7 where he differentiates depending on where she went and for how long. See Igros Moshe Even HaEzer vol. 4 Siman 71 Dibur Hamaschil U'Bidvar, where Rav Moshe Feinstein Zatzal seems to concur with this view)
A person's wife is an adequate Shomeres even if the other woman is Libo Gas Ba. (See Shu"t Sha'ar Yosef from the Chida Siman 3 Dibur Hamaschil V'Hinay Ra'isi)
...To be continued B’Ezras Hashem next week
