Kiddushin, Daf Peh Aleph, Part 2
Introduction
We continue to deal with seclusion.
אמר רבה בעלה בעיר אין חוששין משום ייחוד
Rabbah said: If her husband is in town we are not concerned about seclusion.
If her husband is in town, seclusion with another man is not prohibited. We can assume that the secluded couple will not have sex with her husband so nearby.
אמר רב יוסף פתח פתוח לרשות הרבים אין חוששין משום ייחוד
R. Yosef said: If the door opens to the street, we are not concerned about seclusion.
Since there is a door that opens to the street, seclusion is not prohibited. They won t have sex lest someone barge in.
רב ביבי איקלע לבי רב יוסף
בתר דכרך ריפתא אמר להו שקולי דרגא מתותי ביבי
והא אמר רבה בעלה בעיר אין חוששין משום ייחוד
שאני רב ביבי דשושבינתיה הואי וגייסא ביה
R. Bibi visited R. Yosef. After he broke bread, he said to them [the servants], Remove the ladder from under Bibi.
But didn t Rabbah say: If her husband is in town, we are not concerned about seclusion? R. Bibi was different, because she was his friend, and she was familiar with him.
I truly love this story. R. Bibi has dinner at R. Yosef s house and then goes to the upper chamber where he is going to sleep. He tells the servants to remove the ladder for if they do not, R. Bibi might climb down and have relations with R. Yosef s wife. [Can you imagine your house guest telling you don t leave me alone with your spouse cause who knows what might happen? ].
R. Bibi is stricter than necessary because he was already familiar with R. Yosef s wife. The dispensation to be secluded with a woman whose husband is in town applies only to a woman not all that familiar to the man. Men and women who are familiar with each other are more likely to have sex. Perhaps R. Yosef s wife was R. Bibi s ex?
אמר רב כהנא אנשים מבחוץ ונשים מבפנים אין חוששין משום ייחוד אנשים מבפנים ונשים מבחוץ חוששין משום ייחוד
במתניתא תנא איפכא
אמר אביי השתא דאמר רב כהנא הכי ותנא מתניתא איפכא אנא נעביד לחומרא
R. Kahana said: If there are men in the outside [in the outer chamber] and women within [in the inner chamber], we are not concerned about seclusion.
If there are men in the inner chamber and women in the outer, we are concerned about seclusion.
In a baraita the reverse was taught.
Abaye said: Now that R. Kahana said, while a baraita taught the reverse, we will act stringently.
The Talmud relates to a two-chambered house, where one chamber is close to the entrance. To get to the inner chamber, one would have to walk through the outer chamber. According to R. Kahana, if women are in the inner room, we are not concerned because the men would notice another man entering the women s chamber. But in the opposite situation, a man in the inner chamber could leave the house, claim he was going out and be secluded with the woman in the outer chamber
The baraita teaches the opposite rule. If the men are in the inner chamber, then there is no problem because anyone secluded with a woman in the outer chamber will fear that one of the men from the inner chamber will go out and see them. But if the women are in the inner chamber, a man might go in there and the other men will not notice.
Since both opinions were expressed, Abaye rules stringently and is concerned about seclusion in both situations.
אביי דייר גולפי רבא דייר קנה
Abaye made a partition of jugs; Rava made a partition of canes.
Two short stories of what these amoraim would actually do to prevent seclusion with women.
Avin said: The worst part of the year is the festival.
During the festival, when celebrating, men and women who are not supposed to be sleeping together will do so. Assumedly, he is justifying extra measures to keep the sexes apart during those times.