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From: Russell Hendel <rhendel@saber.towson.edu> Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1999 22:59:42 -0500 (EST) Subject: Do modesty prohibitions prevent sin or create borders Moshe Feldman (Volume 29 Number 99) writes >>>>>>>>>>>>>> 3. I would add that other halachot mentioned in se'if 5 (such as she'elat shalom [sending a greeting] to a woman) are dependent upon social mores. If one does something out of the ordinary, this is likely to create sexual urges. In a society where public affection is rarely >>>>>>>>>>>>>> The suggestion that eg saying HELLO to a married woman (when you don't ordinarily say HELLO) creates "sexual urges" seems a little bit of an exaggeration. Rabbi Friedman in his book "Doesn't anyone blush anymore" suggests that many of these halacoth (including even Yichud) can be "better" understood using the concept of "borders". To quote Rabbi Friedman the reason say "Moshe Rabbaynu" and "Sarah Imothainu" can't have Yichud is not because we are worried they would sin, but rather, the reason is to create borders for their sexuality thereby increasing there sense of modesty. I would similarly say here...if you don't normally say HELLO but you say HELLO to a married woman we are not worried about sin or even arousal, rather we are concerned that you have broken your borders of modesty Russell Jay Hendel; Phd ASA; rjhendel@juno.com Moderator Rashi Is Simple; http://www.shamash.org/rashi/