Hamas War

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

It Depends on How You Look At It, Wise Men or Chelm

We've been having some major roadwork done in the entrance and "downtown" Shiloh recently. One of the projects is a new parking lot. It "circles" the building with the supermarket, greengrocer and also near the Eidot Mizrach, North-African synagogue.

Yes, I'm sure the road planners from the regional council think they did a great job, thinking of everything.



That's how it looks in the above picture. But if you look at it from a different angle, you see that all those parking spaces near the synagogue are right next to and directly under the windows of the Women's Mikvah, ritual bath. According to Jewish custom, the mikvah is supposed to be the epitome of discretion. It's bad enough that the synagogue was built, davka, there, but to have parking right under the windows is rude to say the least.


9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Put up a sign in the lot that drivers must park backed in reverse, with their eyes closed.

Problem solved!

Batya said...

funny to you, but not pleasant for the young and not so young ladies.

Anonymous said...

Nah! I'm quite sensitive to the concern. I was just thinking like a Chelmman/Chelmer/Chelmkin/Chelmnian.

Netivotgirl said...

I teach the laws of Tahara. There were Rabbis of earlier generations who opposed the building of mikva'ot near shuls as it is immodest like you pointed out. The opposing view states that it is very critical what a woman sees immediately upon leaving the mikva. (We recommend that women look up to the sky; it is considered problematic for a woman to see a "tamei" animal like a cat as the first thing she beholds.) Hence, other Poskim of earlier generations said it was best that women be able to see "holy men" at shul upon leaving the mikve.

Let's not forget that in many countries years ago women wore shawls and other clothing that shielded their identity. Today this is definitely a problem! Those who live in big cities can travel to a distant neighborhood, unlike ladies living on a yishuv or small city like Netivot.

Keli Ata said...

Shy--I thought that too lol.

Seriously though, the parking lot is simply too close to the mikvah. The mikvah should not only be private but also have the illusion of privacy. Even if nobody can see through the windows (if they're opaque with tinted window or something) the general creepiness of knowing people could see through would discourage women from using it.

The idea that someone could see through is just as bad as them actually being able to see through.

Keli Ata said...

Netivotgirl--fascinating! TY

Batya said...

shy, you're a man...

Esther, thanks for the info,

Keli, you can't see through the windows, but sound travels.

Anonymous said...

It takes a man to build a parking lot!

Seriously, ask Rav Bin Nun if the community is now obligated to erect a head-high fence along that edge of the lot because of "Hezek Re'iyah", almost similar to the concept of visual invasion of privacy.

Batya said...

Shy, good point. I'll send it to the Mikvah lady.