Yichud- Is It Permissible For A Man and Lady To Be Alone In The Back of A Limousine or Ambulance
*** This Halacha deals with topic of Yichud. Yichud is the concept that a man may not be secluded with a forbidden woman. Please read all the Halachot on this topic as there are conditions and exclusions that must be fully understood before accepting Lema’ase. ***
We learnt in a previous Halacha how to get around the laws of Yichud in an automobile. We determined that it would be permissible for a man and a forbidden lady to be alone in a car as long as there are motorists or pedestrians about, who can see through the windows into car. This method can be relied on even in a car that has tinted windows, for the windshield is never opaque and others can always see through the windshield into the car.
The question was asked about other types of vehicles where a man and forbidden lady would be alone in the back and not be visible through a window. This is common in limousines, and can also occur in an ambulance. In limousines, the driver is in the front and can be seen through the windshield, but the passengers in the rear can not be observed through the windshield, nor can they be seen through dark tinted windows. Likewise, in an ambulance the driver can be seen, but the occupants in the rear can not be seen. In both cases it is quite probable that the driver is male and one of the passengers is male thus creating a condition of 2 males and one female. Additionally, there is a partition that separates the driver and his passengers which essentially creates a private area for the rear passengers. So, would such a seclusion in these cases be considered a problem of Yichud? We are talking about a case where the husband is not with the lady in the back. If the husband is with her then of course there would be no problem and no question.
According to the Halacha, it is permissible for a man and forbidden lady to be alone in the back of the limousine or ambulance.
Let’s discuss the reason and logic that supports this permission. The driver that is in the front of the vehicle is not in the Yichud area for he is by the windshield and people outside the car can see him. And since this driver is not subject to Yichud, so he himself then serves as protector against improprieties among the rear passengers. He has the ability to see the rear. The rear occupants would not behave indecently for fear the driver would be witness to any inappropriate actions and then speak of the activities to others. This leniency even applies when there is a partition blocking the driver’s view, because the driver has a control switch that enables him to lower the partition and see the rear at any time.
To review, there is room to be lenient in the case of Yichud and a limousine or ambulance. It is permissible for a man and forbidden lady to be alone together in the back even if there are tinted opaque windows, and even if there is a partition separating them from the driver. It is permissible so long as the driver can be seen from the outside, and so long as he has control to lower the partition and view the rear.
