Q&A: Observing Physical Contact Restrictions
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Observing Physical Contact Restrictions
Question
What is the status in Jewish law of refraining from physical contact? And can the enormous difficulty involved in it override the desire to comply with Jewish law?
Answer
Affectionate physical contact is forbidden. And the difficulty of keeping this has nothing to do with it.
I didn’t understand the question about the difficulty. Is that a factual question? Ask a psychologist. As for the halakhic question, I don’t think it is an enormous difficulty, and if it is, then you should keep away from the company of women, or from the company of a woman regarding whom you have this difficulty.