Yichud

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Yichud

Seclusion of an unmarried couple
is prohibited by Jewish law
Halakhic sources*
Texts in Jewish law relating to this article:
Bible: Leviticus 18:6
Babylonian Talmud: Kiddushin 80b and Sandedrin 21
Shulchan Aruch: Even HaEzer 22 and 24
* Not meant as a definitive ruling. Some observances may be rabbinical, or customs, or Torah based.

Yichud (Hebrew: איסור ייחוד isur yichud‎, trans. Seclusion), in Jewish Law, is the seclusion of a man and a woman in a closed room or a private area. Such seclusion is prohibited when the man and woman are not married to each other, to prevent the two from coming to commit promiscuous acts.

Contents

[edit] Source of the law

There is a Biblical prohibition against a man being alone with a married woman or a woman who is a Niddah. After the rape of King David's daughter Tamar when she was left alone with a her half-brother Amnon, David and his high court extended this prohibition to all unmarried girls.[1]

These rules are discussed in the Talmud, Tractate Kiddushin 80b ff and Tractate Sanhedrin 21.

[edit] Laws of Yichud

There is no prohibition against close family members or a married couple being alone together. However, siblings of opposite sexes should not live together on a permanent basis.

Seclusion is only prohibited when there is but a single man present. Additionally, the presence of older children, the man's close female relatives or his wife would negate the prohibition. In these instances, the presence of the other individuals would serve to provide a check on the man's behavior.

[edit] In marriage

Yichud is also part of the Ashkenazic Jewish wedding ceremony. The newly married couple publicly seclude themselves in a closed room for several minutes.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Shulkhan Arukh Even HaEzer 22,2

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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