[Avodah] Having a boyfriend equivalent to being married?

[Ilana Sober]

Re: tav l'meisiv:
I was chatting recently with a friend who has been a widow for quite a
few years, and who has not remarried. She mentioned that she knows
some women who stay in pretty difficult marriages rather than getting
divorced and said something like, "I definitely understand where
they're coming from - even a bad marriage is better than being alone."
I asked if she had ever heard of the statement tav l'meisiv - she
hadn't.

On the other hand, I have friends who are grushot and object
vociferously to tav l'meisiv.

- Ilana