04-28-2009, 07:44 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-17-2019, 09:06 AM by Director Michael.)
I forwarded these questionse to Rabbi Moshe Weiner, author of "The Divine Code" series. Here are the answers he provided for observant Noahides:
- A married Gentile woman is permitted to kiss and hug her relatives that you mentioned (her father, grandfather and adult brother) in societies where this is the custom, if this is done only as a way of showing family closeness and honor to these relatives. In that context, this is not at all an immodest act.
- If she knows that one of her relatives is an exception to this (i.e. he acts immodestly toward her) she may not show any physical signs of closeness to him.
- If an adult woman wants to be pious, she may choose to refrain from kissing her adult brother.
- If it is the custom in a society for unrelated men and women (either married or unmarried) to shake hands, or even kiss lightly on the cheek, as a form of greeting in public (but not other types of closeness), that is not forbidden for Gentiles according to their basic Torah law. But there is justification for an individual to choose to be stricter for him/herself.
There is no prohibition for Gentile men and women who are not in forbidden categories to each other to do this. This would rule out a married woman hugging another man, except that it is allowed for a married or unmarried woman to hug her own (grand)parent or adult (grand)child. An adult brother hugging his adult married or unmarried sister is a borderline case.
- A married Gentile woman is permitted to kiss and hug her relatives that you mentioned (her father, grandfather and adult brother) in societies where this is the custom, if this is done only as a way of showing family closeness and honor to these relatives. In that context, this is not at all an immodest act.
- If she knows that one of her relatives is an exception to this (i.e. he acts immodestly toward her) she may not show any physical signs of closeness to him.
- If an adult woman wants to be pious, she may choose to refrain from kissing her adult brother.
- If it is the custom in a society for unrelated men and women (either married or unmarried) to shake hands, or even kiss lightly on the cheek, as a form of greeting in public (but not other types of closeness), that is not forbidden for Gentiles according to their basic Torah law. But there is justification for an individual to choose to be stricter for him/herself.
Joachim ben Noach Wrote:May one hug only those family members mentioned above: or more than these? (For it is permissible to marry cousins etc.)
There is no prohibition for Gentile men and women who are not in forbidden categories to each other to do this. This would rule out a married woman hugging another man, except that it is allowed for a married or unmarried woman to hug her own (grand)parent or adult (grand)child. An adult brother hugging his adult married or unmarried sister is a borderline case.