Ein Mann mag nicht allein mit zwei Frauen sein [denn Frauen sind willensschwach und die beiden zusammen könnten der Verlockung erliegen], aber eine Frau mag allein mit zwei Männern sein [denn ein Mann würde sich in Gegenwart des anderen schämen . Die Halacha: Eine Frau darf nicht allein mit zwei Männern sein, und es versteht sich von selbst, dass ein Mann nicht allein mit zwei Frauen sein darf, es sei denn, die beiden waren Rivalen (Zaroth) oder Yevamoth oder eine Frau und die Tochter ihres Mannes. oder eine Frau und ihre Schwiegermutter (oder eine Frau mit einem jungen Mädchen, das weiß, was Zusammenleben bedeutet und sich nicht hingibt), weil diese sich gegenseitig hassen und fürchten. Ebenso fürchtet sie ein junges Mädchen, damit sie nicht sieht und erzählt. Und Streifen werden verabreicht, um mit einer einzelnen Frau allein zu sein und um mit Arayoth allein zu sein, außer mit einer verheirateten Frau, wobei Streifen in diesem Fall nicht verabreicht werden, um ihre Kinder nicht in Verruf zu bringen. Und es ist erlaubt, mit einem Tier oder mit (einem anderen) Mann allein zu sein, denn Israel steht nicht im Verdacht von Homosexualität oder Zooerastie.] R. Shimon sagt: Auch ein Mann kann mit zwei Frauen allein sein, wenn seine Frau bei ihm ist und er kann (allein) mit ihnen in einem Gasthaus schlafen, denn seine Frau bewacht ihn. Ein Mann kann mit seiner Mutter und seiner Tochter allein sein und mit ihnen in fleischlichem Kontakt schlafen. Und wenn sie erwachsen sind [die Tochter ist zwölf Jahre und einen Tag alt, und der Junge, dreizehn Jahre und ein Tag], schläft sie in ihrem Gewand und er schläft in seinem. [Und wenn sie sich schämt, nackt vor ihm zu stehen, auch wenn sie jünger ist, schläft sie in ihrem Gewand und er in seinem.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
לא יתיחד איש אחד עם שתי נשים – because they are light-headed and they both enjoy being enticed.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
Introduction
This mishnah discusses the prohibition of “yihud” a man may not be alone in a room with a woman. Indeed, the mishnah assumes this prohibition is known and qualifies it in various ways. The reason for this prohibtion seems to be that the rabbis made two assumptions: 1) men cannot control their sexual urges and therefore they will attempt to have sex with any woman with whom they are alone; 2) women cannot stop the men from making such advances.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
אבל אשה אחת מתיחדת עם שני אנשים – for one is embarrassed from his fellow. And the Halakhic decision is that a woman should not be alone with two men, and all the more so, one man with two women, other than if there were two women who were rivals or sisters-in-law (i.e. widows of a brother who died without issue), or a woman and the daughter of her husband, or a woman and her mother-in-law, or a woman with a baby girl that knows the flavor of sexual intercourse and does not deliver herself to sexual intercourse, since these [pairs[ hate each other and are fearful one of the other, and similarly, she is afraid of the minor lest she see her and tell. And we whip on the private meeting of a free woman with a man, and on the private meeting with those [forbidden] because of incest , other than a married woman who is not whipped , in order that we would not cast suspicion on the legitimacy of her children (see Talmud Kiddushin 81a), but it is permitted to be alone with an animal and with a male, for Israelites were not suspected on pederasty and on relations with animals.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
A man may not be alone with two women, but one woman may be alone with two men. It is taken for granted that a man may not be alone with one woman. The mishnah adds that one man may not be alone even with two women. The fear is that the presence of two women will not deter the man from making advances on either or even on both of the women. However, one woman may be alone with two men, under the assumption that the presence of another man will deter each man from engaging in a prohibited and socially unacceptable act (sex with a woman not his wife).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
הגדילו זו ישנה בבסותה וכו' – and this is case where the daughter was from twelve years of age and the boy from thirteen years of age and one day. And at the time where she is embarrassed to stand before him unclothed, even younger than this, they sleep he with his clothes [on] and she with her clothes [on].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
Rabbi Shimon says: even one man may be alone with two women, if his wife is with him, and he may sleep with them in an inn, because his wife watches him. Rabbi Shimon is more lenient and allows a man to be secluded with two women. According to the version of the mishnah which I translated above, such seclusion is only permitted if his wife is with him, for she will watch over him. However, other versions add the word “and” making this into a separate clause. They read that if a man’s wife is with him he may be alone with one other woman, and may even sleep in the same room with both of them in an inn.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
A man may be alone with his mother and his daughter, and he may sleep with them in immediate bodily contact; but when they grow up, she must sleep in her garment and he in his. Seclusion is not prohibited with one’s mother or daughter. While he is a minor he may sleep naked in bed with his mother, and while his daughter is a minor, she may sleep naked in bed with him. When they grow up they may continue to sleep in the same bed, but they must be clothed. As an aside, it seems that people normally slept without a “garment.” After all, the land of Israel is rather warm and a blanket often suffices.
