Sources and Reasoning:
May One Look at Images of Women’s Clothing?
The Gemara in Avodah Zarah 20a states: “And you shall guard yourself from every evil thing” (Devarim 23:10)—a person should not look at a beautiful woman, even if she is unmarried; at a married woman, even if she is unattractive; nor at a woman’s colored garments, etc.
Rav Yehudah said in the name of Shmuel: Even if they are spread out on a wall [meaning, the woman is not wearing them]. Rav Pappa said: This applies where he knows their owner. Rava said: This is also precise from the wording of the Baraita, which teaches “a woman’s colored garments,” and does not teach “colored garments”; infer from this. Rav Chisda said: This applies to old garments, but regarding new ones, there is no concern. For if you do not say so, how could we dye garments? After all, we would be looking at them. End quote.
Thus the Shulchan Aruch rules in Even HaEzer, siman 21, סעיף 1: A person must distance himself from women exceedingly. It is forbidden to wink with his hands or feet, or to gesture with his eyes toward any of the arayot. It is forbidden to joke with her, behave frivolously in her presence, or gaze at her beauty. It is even forbidden to smell the perfume upon her. It is forbidden to look at women standing over laundry. It is forbidden to look at the colored garments of a woman whom he knows, even when they are not upon her, lest this lead him to improper thoughts.
It follows that there is no prohibition against looking at images of women’s clothing in advertisements when they are not being worn by women [nor by mannequins]. Only regarding an old garment belonging to a woman whom he knows is it forbidden to look at it even when she is not wearing it, out of concern that this may lead him to improper thoughts about her.
Looking at Images of Clothing Worn by Women When the Woman Is Not Visible
With regard to looking at images of women’s clothing in advertisements, when the image shows that a woman is wearing the garment, this is entirely forbidden, even if the woman’s face is not visible, and even if the entire portion from the neck upward has been cropped out. For without doubt, this can lead to improper thoughts.
Similarly, the great Gaon Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, zt”l, wrote in She’elot U’Teshuvot Salmat Chaim, Even HaEzer, siman 73: The Gemara in Avodah Zarah 20a explains that it is forbidden to look at colored garments even when they are hanging on a wall, where he knows their owner. I was uncertain regarding a case where she is wearing them but he does not know the woman—perhaps, whenever he does not know her, there is no reason to prohibit it even when they are upon her. He concluded: It appears obvious that it is forbidden. The notes there indicate that this is likewise implied by the Derishah on Even HaEzer, סעיף 5, se’if katan 2.
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.
