Is Having One’s Wife in Town a Heter for Yichud?

Question: Reuven the electrician has a job in someone’s house where only the wife is home and the husband is out-of-town. As we discussed previously, the heter of Ba’alah b’ihr does not apply. However, Reuven’s wife is in town so he assumes this will eliminate the problem of yichud. Is he correct? 

Answer: He is not correct. 

The heter of Ba’alah b’ihr is only when a woman’s husband is in town, not when a man’s wife is in town. A woman would be naturally averse to sin while her husband is in town, but a man does not have the same apprehension; therefore, the heter does not apply in such a case. 

We do find a halacha that a wife can act as a guardian for her husband if she is with him. This would apply, for example, in a case where a frum therapist sees female patients in his home office. If his wife is with him in the house, there would be no problem of yichud. 

Furthermore, she doesn’t actually have to be in the house at all times. If she goes out shopping and could come home at any minute, she also can serve as a protection for her husband; however, if she goes out shopping and her husband knows that she won’t be back for a while, then he will have no natural apprehensions and there would be a prohibition of yichud.