[Avodah] Habituation

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

R' Rich Wolpoe wrote:
> Simply put -
> There are absolute erva's and relative erva's
> AIUI - "ufara es Roshah" creates an absolute erva WRT to married
> [Jewish] women's hair, with other women - it's subject to hergel.
> Reductio ad absurdum
> Would we say that a nudist colony - since due to hergel lacks any
> hirhur - therefore has zero laws of tz'nius?
> I think not!

My gut feeling is the same as yours. But still.....

How do you resolve this with Rav Acha carrying the kallah?

I can't help but wonder if this concept of absolute and relative erva might lead us to distinguish between what a person wears and what a person sees. IOW, regardless of the local standards and habituations, and even where there is no hirhur, a person must always still cover those parts of the body. But perhaps, just maybe, is it possible that a man who is so deadened to any such thoughts, might indeed be allowed to be in a nudist colony with eyes wide open - provided that he is himself clothed?

I have heard stories of certain rabbonim who were scheduled to give a shiur, or a drasha in shul, and upon seeing the short sleeves of some of the women, changed their speech to be one of mussar and stories which would not technically constitute "learning Torah" in the presence of erva. But I have *not* heard of hechsherim which insist on proper-length sleeves for the waitresses in their restaurants. I suppose it is possible that the rav hamachshir expects us to avert our eyes when we says brachos in his restaurant. But could it be that the halacha which the Aruch Hashulchan applied to uncovered hair might also be applied to uncovered arms?

Akiva Miller

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