Meal of Consolation for a Woman by a Man
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Question
It is explained in the Shulchan Aruch, Siman 378, Seif 2, that a woman in mourning sitting shiva should not receive a meal of consolation from men. The question is whether the restriction is on serving the food or on the ownership of the food. In other words, can a woman send a man to bring the meal of consolation to a woman, and can a man send a woman to give the meal of consolation to a woman in mourning?
Answer
Care should be taken that a woman prepares the food for another woman and also serves it.
Source
In Avel Rabbati, it is written that a man should not console a woman due to the risk of transgression, and in the responsa of Maharil Diskin (Part 2, Kuntres A, Siman 5, Letter 21), it is written that it is due to seclusion, and therefore, certainly, the prohibition is on the serving by the man to the woman. However, from the plain language of the Shulchan Aruch and the decisors, it appears that the prohibition is on eating from his ownership, and therefore it seems that one should be stringent in both cases.