Responsa for Kiddushin 161:8
אמר רב כהנא אנשים מבחוץ ונשים מבפנים אין חוששין משום ייחוד אנשים מבפנים ונשים מבחוץ חוששין משום ייחוד
If there are men in the inner chamber and women in the outer, we have fear of privacy.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The men's path lies through the women's chamber, and as stated before, one man may not be alone with a number of women.');"><sup>17</sup></span> In a Baraitha the reverse was taught.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When men are in the outer chamber, we fear that one may pass into the inner chamber without the others noticing it. But if men are in the inner chamber, we are not afraid that a woman from the outer chamber will enter, because in any case one woman may be alone with two men; nor do we fear that a man may enter the women's chamber, since others will follow him, as that is their natural exit.');"><sup>18</sup></span> Said Abaye: Now that R'Kahana ruled thus, while the Baraitha taught the reverse, let us<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is the reading in the Asheri; cur. edd. 'I shall'.');"><sup>19</sup></span> act stringently.
Teshuvot Maharam
Rabbi Hezekiah b. Jacob, to whom the question was first submitted, ruled that L be forbidden to A.
A. One judge is not at liberty to permit what another has prohibited. Were I present at the time when Rabbi Hezekiah received the query, I would have argued the case with him. A woman is not forbidden to her husband unless either: a) the husband is jealous of a certain man, and warns her against private meetings with this man, and the wife disregards this warning in the presence of witnesses; or b) they actually be found in a position indicative of fornication. But, heavy breathing itself is no indication that illicit sexual intercourse took place. Therefore, I shall wait till Rabbi Hezekiah recuperates from his illness, whereupon I shall discuss this matter with him.
SOURCES: Pr. 98; Am II, 63; Rashba I 832–3; Tesh. Maim. to Ishut, 8; Hag. Mord. Kidd. 549. Cf. Asher, Responsa 32, 11; Weil, Responsa 8; ibid. 88; Israel Bruno, Responsa 5; ibid. 7; Isserlein, Pesakim 222.
Teshuvot Maharam
R. Meir's opinion was as follows:
The testimony of R. Shealtiel and his sons is of no consequence for two reasons. a) They are related to each other; their testimony is that of a single witness, and, therefore, insufficient. b) The foetus could have lingered in the mother's womb for twelve months (cf. Yeb. 80b). Sarah's giving birth to a child twelve months after her husband left her, is, therefore, no proof of her depravity. The testimony of the other witness regarding Sarah's indecent behavior on the evening of Shabuot, being the testimony of a single witness, does not deprive Sarah of her right to her ketubah. If R. Isaac believes the aforementioned witness or if he takes the word of his wife's own father, he must divorce Sarah even against her will. If she renders it impossible for him to divorce her, he may marry another woman without divorcing Sarah as a warning to all indecent and depraved women. But he must pay Sarah her ketubah. However, if Sarah admits her guilt, or acknowledges the truth of the testimony regarding her indecent conduct on the evening of Shabuot, or if she cannot satisfactorily explain why she denied her being pregnant in the month of Elul of the previous year, or answer all other questions regarding her conduct, she loses her right to her ketubah and is entitled only to whatever is left of the valuables she had brought with her upon her marriage.
SOURCES: L. 310; Tesh. Maim. to Nashim 25; Hag. Mord. to Yeb. 121; cf. Sinai vol. V (1941) p. 296; Asher Responsa 32, 11; Weil, Responsa 8; ibid. 88; Isserlein, Pesakim 22.
Teshuvot Maharam
A. It is an accepted custom throughout the Diaspora for small communities to hire one or two adult males whenever it is necessary to complete a minyan (quorum) for the high holidays. Therefore, if there are exactly ten adult males in the community, the other remaining members can compel the member seeking to leave either to remain in town or to hire somebody else in his stead. But, if there are eleven adult males in the community, no single member can be restrained from leaving; for he does not have to provide for the possibility of another member becoming sick or indisposed. However, if two out of the eleven want to leave, both have to share the expenses of hiring a person to complete the minyan.
Q. When nine Jews have to hire a tenth in order to complete the minyan (quorum), or when they have to hire a cantor for the holidays, do the members share equally in expenses, or do they pay in proportion to their wealth?
A. Since the members do not join a large community for the high-holyday prayers because they do not want to leave their homes, their possessions, and their investments, the forming of the local minyan is dependent upon monetary considerations, and the expenses thereof should be shared by the members in proportion to their wealth.
SOURCES: Pr. 1016; Mord. B. B. 878–9; Hag. Maim. to Tefilah, 11, 1. Cf. Agudah B. B. 15; Maharil, Responsa 107b; Israel Bruno, Responsa 163; Isserlein, Pesakim 243; Judah Minz, Responsa 7.