Interesting Psak: sitting behind or next to a woman on the bus

I admit, when I saw the headline, I had a preconceived notion about what the article would say, and I was wrong.

According to Kikar, Rabbi Uri Tigger had gone to ask his rebbi, Rav Chaim Kanievsky some question about public transportation, as at the time Rav Kanievsky was encouraging the use of the mehadrin bus lines.

Rav Tigger asked if one is allowed to sit behind a woman - he explains that when he comes to talk to Rav Kanievsly he takes the shared shuttle taxis that run on the bus lines, and sometimes a woman is sitting in a seat and other passengers do not want to sit in the seats behind her. Rav Tigger says that he wants to know, once and for all, if this is ok or not, as sitting behind a  woman in such a situation you are not even really seeing her, except for maybe a tiny bit. So is it ok to sit behind a woman or not?

Rav Kanievsky responded that the problem halachically is only walking behind a woman, not sitting behind a woman.

Additionally, Rav Tigger asked, Rav Kanievsky has previously paskened that if a woman gets on the bus and sits beside you, a male, you do not need to get up. Rav Tigger asked if this is really, lechatchila ok to continue sitting there and not get up?

Rav Kanievsly responded that according to the halacha if he is not going to be touching her by continuing to sit in his seat, there is no need to get up and there is no question about it. the only problem is sitting between two women.

Rav Tigger asked for confirmation about the problem of sitting between two women and quoted the Gemara that says not to walk between two women. Rav Kanievsky confirmed sitting between two women is also a problem and he referred to a different Gemara that infers in his opinion that even sitting between two women is a problem.

------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel

------------------------------------------------------