When Bilaam noticed that the openings of the Jews’ tents did not face each other, he said, “These people deserve to have the Divine Presence rest upon them.” This is the basis of the halacha which prohibits a person from installing a window that faces his neighbor’s window. Even if the neighbor waived the right to object, and gave him permission to install it, that willingness is irrelevant since the result is immodest. Alternatively, some explain that the reason the neighbor’s willingness is not good enough is because at a later date the neighbor may say, “At first I thought I could live with it, but now I realize that I cannot.”
This restriction even applies to a person installing a window that overlooks a jointly-owned courtyard. True, he could argue that it should not matter to anyone if he puts in a window there, since in any case he can go into the courtyard and see what is going on there. Nevertheless, the neighbors may object, “If you are with us in the courtyard, we can hide from you; however, if you are watching us through the window, we are not aware of it (and cannot protect ourselves).”
Based on this reasoning, neighbors can object to someone installing a window which faces the courtyard, maintaining that they do not want to be tempted to peek into his window. Also for this reason, a person may not install a window which faces the public domain, even if he says he has nothing to hide and is not worried about people looking into his home.
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