Enlightening the World One Halacha at a Time

January 21, 2008

Cramped Trains and touching the Opposite Sex

I had the tremendous z'chus this week to be on New York City Subway train during rush hour and let me tell if you ever wondered what peanut butter feels like when you smear him on bread and then spread jelly all over him, take a subway ride during rush hour. Like sardines in a can, trash in a compacter, jews in the bais hamikdash (pick your mashel) the train was absolutely packed. So packed, i would venture to guess if one more person tried to squeeze on: a. someone would pass out b. the train would explode c. mashiach would come d. all of the above. Now this seemingly mundane experience got me to thinking how are frum Jews allowed to ride on cramped trains. It is guaranteed someone of the opposite sex will be smushed up next to you and touch you albeit unintentionally. Isn't that a violation of the Shomer Negiah? Rav Moshe tackles this issue in his Igros Moshe and answers that the prohibition of touching the opposite sex only applies if it is done bderech taivah- loosely translated as with affection. However, just to rub up against a shnasty illegal immigrant with cooties would be allowed. Rav Moshe adds two stipulations though. First, if you know you will be attracted or excited from the touch it is of course assur. I was once told, a good way to check is by asking yourself : is touching this person something I would do if God didn't exist. Second, Rav Moshe states in a different response that shaking hands with a coworker of the opposite sex is a sign of camaraderie and social exchange and thus a sign of affection (you wouldn't shake hands with the sardines I was squished with). Although, there are those that do allow shaking hands with business cohorts, one should realize that doing such is certainly not ideal and should try to not initiate and as Rav Willig of YU has said "work on your dead fish or bone crusher" handshake. However, the most interesting part about Rav Moshe's response is that he spends three pages explaining and expounding on this issue, however, in his final sentence he says one is allowed to start an early minyan on yuntiff and need not worry people will come to this minyan and go to work afterwards. What this has to do with anything, I have no idea. I can assume that whoever asked Rav Moshe the subway question at the same time asked him the early yuntiff minyan question. But if someone can connect these two issues- I will send you a HALACHA GENIUS T-shirt. Please email TheHalachaBoy@gmail.com (copy and paste it into the To: box), no response is too outrageous.

No comments: