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I have read that Hashem hates public nudity, but what is the Jewish position on nudity at home in front of other family members?

Obviously, the short answer is bad, don't do it. Modesty is a fundamental Jewish behavioural trait, so we should strive to avoid entirely or minimise to the extreme actual or suggested nudity at all times.

I am looking for sources which address this issue directly, perhaps referring to a child's shame before a parent or vice versa, or how spouses should dress before each other.

These related questions deal with the 'nakedness' of a married woman's hair at home, but not specifically with actual nudity at home:

Nakedness in front of holy items like books, other writings, mezuzot, tefillin, etc. is not what I'm asking about, but would make an excellent follow-up question.

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I don't understand why you're asking a question and then emphatically answering it (without any sources) in the second paragraph. Why not leave the question open, to see whether or not it really is problematic, or assume from the outset that it's bad and then ask why? –  Shimon bM Aug 1 '12 at 8:43
I apologise if my question is a bit unclear. I am principally looking for source texts or tradition on the subject. I assume it is bad or frowned on and I am expecting to see answers supporting that, but I would welcome sources who disagree. –  Michael Sandler Aug 1 '12 at 9:34
What is the source for "Hashem hates public nudity"? –  WAF Aug 1 '12 at 19:14
@Chanoch Those seem almost like duplicates. –  Double AA Aug 2 '12 at 6:02

2 Answers 2

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You have to get dressed in the way that your naked areas won't be exposed. You aren't allowed to say, "I am in my innermost room; who can see me?" G-d can see you. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 2:1-2.

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Thank you, @ba. I am looking for more specific sources about nudity in front of members of the household. –  Michael Sandler Aug 1 '12 at 7:58
Michael, wouldn't that follow from this? –  Seth J Aug 1 '12 at 12:17
This source applies whether you are alone or not. I am looking for a perspective specifically in front of others. –  Michael Sandler Aug 2 '12 at 10:56
@MichaelSandler Right, but if you can't be undressed alone, how much more so can't you be in front of others? (I think that is what SethJ is hinting at.) –  Double AA Aug 2 '12 at 14:04

Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 240:4 (The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch of R' Ganzfried (150:5) quotes him verbatim, and I'm quoting the translation of the Kitzur by R' Eliyahu Touger):

It is forbidden to look at a woman's genitalia. Any person who looks at a woman's genitalia has no shame and violates the charge [Micha 6:8] "Walk modestly with your God." Going against this natural tendency for embarrassment [is serious], because a person with this tendency will not sin, as [Shemot 20:17] states "For this reason, the awe of Him [i.e., the tendency to modesty] shall be upon you, so that you shall not sin". Furthermore, such a person encourages his evil inclination to take control of him.

It follows, therefore, that a woman shouldn't ever appear in front of her husband completely naked.

I'm having a harder time sorting out what the halachot would be when she's nearly naked. Since there are to be halachot when she's in niddah prohibiting him from seeing parts of her body that are usually kept covered, there may be a diyuk that permits it when she's permitted to him.

On the other hand, there's a prohibition against having marital relations when there's light in the room, a halacha which stems from v'ahavta l'reyacha kamocha since maybe he'll see something about her that disgusts him. There are two halachot that stem from v'ahavta l'reyacha kamocha with the specific concern that maybe he'll see something about her that disgusts him: it's the source of the prohibition of having martial relations when there's light in the room, and it's also the reason for the requirement that a man see his prospective bride before marrying her (Kiddushin 41a). Consequently, it seems to me on the machmir side that maybe he shouldn't see any part of her that he would not have been allowed to see before they were married, so that he won't turn out to be disgusted by something he couldn't see before they got married. I'll need to ask my rav about this.

I'm sure that a woman and her daughter presents a different situation (which is possibly more lenient). A woman and her son is almost certainly more machmir above a certain age.

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On the other hand, there's a great deal of prohibition about having marital relations when there's light in the room, a halacha which stems from v'ahavta l'reyacha kamocha since maybe he'll see something that disgusts her. I thought that was because he may become distracted when he is having marital relations. (The Ohr HaChaim talks at length about how bad this is in P' Vayeitzei. I think I remember seeing something similar in the Shulchan Aruch, laws of tznius (which comes somewhere around the laws of minchah).) –  b a Aug 2 '12 at 3:49
@ba: you may be right. I've also seen the explanation of "maybe he'll see something about her that disgusts him" in the context of martial relations as meaning that the she may be degraded in his eyes from the situation that he sees her in (i.e. naked during marital relations), which possibly applies only in situations of marital relations. –  Chanoch Aug 2 '12 at 3:52
"there's a great deal of prohibition about having marital relations when there's light in the room"... not sure what you mean by a "great deal", esp considering there are poskim who disagree. –  Desert Star Aug 12 '12 at 17:05
There may be a distinction between "seeing naked" and "seeking genatalia". Because of the fact that a woman's genatalia are hidden even when she is naked (as long as she is standing up), a fact which is even referenced in halacha, it may be permissible to look at your wife naked, even according to the opinion that looking at her genatalia is forbidden. That being said, it's not universal among the poskim that looking at her genatalia is forbidden –  Desert Star Aug 12 '12 at 17:06
As for not seeing any part of your wife, ever, that any other strange man would be allowed to see, that seems way beyond the halacha to me. Especially in our times when most men see other women (at work and on the street) that are not dressed according to halachic standards, for him not to be able to see his own wife's body could have shalom bayis implications. Definitely an individual shaila –  Desert Star Aug 12 '12 at 17:12

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