page_title: Yichud
section_title: Laws
hierarchical_section_title: Yichud / Laws
caption_attribution_description: Polski: Ilustracje do książki Elizy Orzeszkowej "Meir Ezofowicz"
context_page_description: In Jewish religious law, the laws of yichud prohibit seclusion in a private area of a man and a woman who are not married to each other. Such seclusion is prohibited in order to prevent the two from being tempted or having the opportunity to commit adulterous or promiscuous acts. A person who is present in order to prevent yichud is called a shomer.
  The laws of yichud are typically followed in Orthodox Judaism. Adherents of Conservative and Reform Judaism do not generally abide by the laws of yichud.
  The term "yichud" also refers to a ritual during an Ashkenazi Jewish wedding in which the newly married couple spends a period secluded in a room by themselves. In earlier historical periods, as early as the talmudic era, the marriage would be consummated at this time, but that practice is no longer current.
context_section_description: The laws of yichud provide for strong restrictions on unrelated members of the opposite sex being secluded together, and milder ones for close family members. Different opinions exist regarding application of these laws both in terms of situation and in terms of the individuals involved. Prohibition of yichud applies to men over 13 years and, generally, girls over three, and a woman over twelve may not be alone with a boy over nine. Even seclusion of short duration is forbidden, if it could potentially last longer.
caption: Yichud applies also out of doors. Illustration from Eliza Orzeszkowa's novel Meir Ezofowicz, which deals with the conflict between Jewish orthodoxy and modern liberalism.
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