Never Alone

Prepared for print by Faigy Peritzman

What is the halachic definition of yichud?

The halachic definition of yichud is seclusion between a man and a woman, indoors or outdoors, with little or no chance of intrusion. This is forbidden min haTorah, and it applies to both married and single men and women.

I always get confused: Do the halachos of yichud apply when more than one man is present? Do they apply when more than one woman is present? Are these numbers different at night?

During the daytime hours, yichud doesn’t apply if two or more men are present, while during nighttime hours three or more men must be present for yichud to be permitted. Nighttime hours are defined as the hours that most people are sleeping, generally 10-11 p.m. to 6-7 a.m., depending on the locality. At least one of the men must be a religious G-d-fearing Jew. But this formula doesn’t hold true with women, since the restrictions of yichud apply to a single man even if multiple women are present.

I’m a single girl who works in an office where most of the other workers are men. The problem arises when my boss asks me to put in overtime. While the door is still technically open, most people have left, and I’m not sure if I’m required to check how many people are planning on staying to see if I’m allowed to stay myself.

You’re required to make sure that at least two men, at least one of them frum, are present as long as you’re planning to stay in the office. Otherwise, notify your boss that you can’t stay overtime.

I often need babysitting at night, sometimes past midnight, but I have several young boys. What factors do I need to know before hiring a babysitter?

If the oldest boy being watched is over 9 years old, then you can only hire a babysitter who is over 12 years old if one of the following conditions is present: 1) There are at least two more children, boys or girls, sleeping or awake, at home. Preferably, the children should be 7-9 years old, but when necessary, children 6-12 are also allowed. 2) A neighbor who has the key or combination to the house (or if the door is left unlocked), will randomly come in to check up on the babysitter. 3) The entire home area can be viewed via a video camera (or Zoom). This option is only valid if the video will be actively monitored in real time by one of the parents (either the babysitter’s or the boy’s).