Interesting Psak: Guarding Grooms

The overcrowded living conditions in Bnei Braq has created an interesting question that was brought to Rav Chaim Kanievsky..Due to the tight conditions, every possible space is being used for apartments, including machsanim, porches being closed in, and the news even showed the other day "garbage rooms" being closed and used as small apartments for young couples. Because of this, spaces in buildings in Bnei Braq can be very tight and constricted.

Rav Chaim was asked regarding the custom to not leave a chosson alone before his wedding, but he should be watched by someone else. The reason is to protect him from "mazikim", or "sheidim", demons of sorts. The question arose as in one of these complexes in Bnei Braq where there were many small apartments adjacent to each other, and it turned out that two grooms who were scheduled to get married on the same day were in the area preparing the apartment in advance of the wedding. The question was asked if each chosson needs his own guard, or if they can be each others guard and go together with nobody else escorting them?

Rav Chaim Kanievsky, after some quick research, answered that the solution to the demons is by having two people together, not that each groom needs his own guard for protection. That means the two grooms can go together to daven or take care of arrangements, watching each other without anybody else watching them. (source: Haredim WAP site)