Question:
While I understand that it may not be in the spirit of halacha and not appropriate – would the Rav say that there is room to be lenient in a situation where the 8 yr old niece would be upset about not being able to go swimming (and the man would offend his hosts if he didn’t go in the pool).
And she is wearing shvimkleid (the tznius type of bathing suit type).
Especially since the obligation of chinuch doesn’t seem to fall upon the uncle.
Or do we say that the right thing to do in this situation is to request that she not go swimming at the same time as the man?
Answer:
I don’t have a clear answer for you. The main reason you shouldn’t go swimming with her is because of yourself. You should not be seeing her in a bathing, even if she is covered. I don’t know what a shvimkleid is, but in general what a woman goes into the pool the bathing suit clings to her body, and seeing her that way can cause improper thoughts. She is still a child so it isn’t quite like seeing an adult woman that way, but it still isn’t a correct thing to do. Just a thought, what would you do if it wasn’t your niece, but your neighbor’s daughter, and they would be insulted, and the girl would feel bad, do you thing it would also be the correct thing to do?
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