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*** 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 have been reviewing the laws of Yichud, and we have learnt that from the Torah that it is forbidden for a man to be alone with a woman if she is not his wife, mother, daughter, or direct descendant. Furthermore, based on the Rabbinate, it is forbidden for Sephardim to allow one man to be alone with 2 or more women. (Ashkenazim should check with their Rabbi.) We also learned that a wife serves as a Shomeret (protector) when the husband and wife are with another woman. The wife’s presence enables her husband to be there for he would not obviously then commit a transgression. So the question was asked if whether or not a mother, grandmother, granddaughter or sister would qualify as a protector. According to the Halacha, a mother, grandmother, granddaughter, great-granddaughter etc., would all qualify as protector and their presence would permit their male relative to be alone with another woman. A sister however, would not qualify.
The question was then asked if a man may be alone with 2 women who are not related to him, but where the 2 women are mother and daughter. Or what about where the 2 women are grandmother and granddaughter? According to Halacha, it is forbidden, and a non-related man may not be alone with these ladies.
To review, a wife, mother, daughter, granddaughter, and grandmother all qualify as protector and their presence enables the man to be alone with another woman. A sister does not qualify. Furthermore, a man may not be alone with 2 women, even when the 2 women are mother and daughter.
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