Sources and Reasoning:
Rambam writes in Hilchot Issurei Bi’ah, chapter 21, halachot 6–7:
One who embraces one of the arayot concerning whom a person has no improper thoughts, or kisses one of them, such as his adult sister, his mother’s sister, and the like—even though there is no desire or pleasure whatsoever—this is exceedingly reprehensible, forbidden, and an act of fools, for one may not come close to an ervah at all, whether she is an adult or a minor, except for a mother with her son and a father with his daughter.
How is a father permitted to embrace and kiss his daughter, and for her to sleep with him in close bodily contact? Likewise, a mother with her son, as long as they are young. Once they grow older—the son becoming an adult and the daughter becoming an adult, to the point that her breasts have developed and her pubic hair has grown—he sleeps in his garment and she sleeps in her garment. If the daughter is embarrassed to stand naked before her father, or if she has married, and likewise if the mother is embarrassed to stand naked before her son, then even if they are young, once they have reached the point of feeling embarrassment before them, they may not sleep with them except while clothed.
The Shulchan Aruch likewise rules in accordance with Rambam, Even HaEzer 21:7.
From the words of Rambam and the Shulchan Aruch, it is clear that a father is permitted to hug and kiss his daughter, whether she is an adult or a minor. There is no distinction between a minor and an adult except regarding sleeping in close bodily contact, meaning without clothing that properly covers the body.
The Perishah explicitly writes this, as cited by Aruch HaShulchan and Beit Shmuel, se’if katan 15: the entire distinction between a minor and an adult concerns not hugging and kissing, but the prohibition of sleeping in close bodily contact. This is also written in Chochmat Adam, klal 125, סעיף 6.
However, I saw in Teshuvot Betzel HaChochmah, vol. 3, siman 12, that he sought to prove from the words of the Mishneh LaMelech on Rambam and from Meiri on Kiddushin 81a, s.v. kevar be’arnu, that their view is to prohibit hugging and kissing an adult daughter, just as sleeping in close bodily contact is prohibited.
Nevertheless, we have only the words of Rambam and the Shulchan Aruch, from which it is explicitly evident that hugging and kissing are permitted even with one’s adult daughter, as all the above-mentioned poskim have concluded. This is also the custom among the holy Jewish people.
Nevertheless, it is not appropriate to display affection between a father and his adult daughter in public, since this is not in keeping with tzniut. However, in the case at hand, where the hug and kiss are for support and encouragement after a fall, this is permitted without any concern. Everything depends on the need and circumstances.
This response was translated automatically from Hebrew and has not yet been reviewed by a person. Therefore, it may contain inaccuracies and should not be considered a definitive reference.
