Two senior haredi poskim, decisors of Jewish law, Rabbis Shmuel HaLevi
Wosner and Nissim Karelitz, the first hasidic and the second
non-hasidic, have ruled that a new type of self-locking doors are problematic and
should be avoided – but not for the reasons you might think.
Rabbi Nissim Karelitz
New High Tech Doors Trouble Haredi Rabbis
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Ynet reports that two senior haredi poskim, decisors of Jewish law, Rabbis Shmuel HaLevi Wosner and Nissim Karelitz, the first hasidic and the second non-hasidic, have ruled that a new type of self-locking doors are problematic and should be avoided – but not for the reasons you might think.
The rabbis didn’t warn against the locks, which are increasingly found in offices and clinics, because of child sexual abuse or due to concerns about Shabbat law violations.
Instead, the two senior haredi rabbis warned that the doors, which appear to be like any normal door, but which automatically electronically lock when closed – which can easily lead to a man and a woman being accidentally secluded together, violating the law of yichud.
The rabbis added that the head of haredi Jewry, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, had also warned against these new doors.
"Recently introduced door handles almost seem like regular handles from the outside, and the handles can be shifted from the outside as well, but they have an automatic electrical locking that prevents the door from being opened from the outside. There is a 'Yichud' prohibition, and whoever is familiar with these handles could recognize them by paying attention,” and ad sponsored by the rabbis’ organization Halakha Watch noted, calling on readers to avoid using these new door locks in outside and inside doors.
“Places with special needs" were asked to contact Halakha Watch "in order to reach a proper solution."
In places where the new door locks can’t be removed, the rabbis recommended propping doors open so that they are slightly ajar, enough so people can see that the door is unlocked.
[Hat Tip: Bob Guthrie.]