Q&A: Mixed Swimming
Mixed Swimming
Question
Can mixed swimming at a spring be permitted on the following grounds: the spring is not defined as a mixed beach, and therefore entering it is like entering a mall where people are walking around immodestly dressed. The fact that people choose to walk around immodestly in a public area does not forbid me from being there. By contrast, a mixed beach is an area that was designated for that purpose from the outset, and therefore it is forbidden.
Answer
The comparison to a mall is difficult, because in a mall there is no reason at all to go around immodestly, even though in practice people do so. But bathing in a spring cannot be done otherwise.
There is room to discuss a leniency, both at a spring and at the beach, under the principle of “it is unavoidable and not intended” (see my columns on watching immodest films). But I am hesitant about this, because here that is the essence of the matter and not a side issue.