Question:
I just wanted to clarify that this particular test was administered only to the religious Jewish students, due to the fact that we could not take the test as it was originally scheduled for yom tov. Therefore, there were no other people who could come in to the room and take things that they forgot. And there was a sign saying “Do not disturb” and, quite frankly, it is rude, insensitive, and distracting to come in when people are taking a test and there is a sign on the door. Therefore, people with basic manners would not do this. The door cannot be left open because it would disturb the test takers.
So the question is, what should one do in such a case if he needs to leave but he cannot leave the other person in yichud (let’s say that it would be a situation where it really is yichud)? Or if the other person left and caused me to be in yichud? Should one demand that the door be left open, despite disturbing the other test takers, or otherwise leave the room and fail the test, since it is forbidden to transgress a halachic prohibition for the sake of a test?
Answer:
If the situation is as you are saying it, and absolutely no one will enter the room, even administration, or other test takers etc. and there are also no rude people that might come inside, then it is indeed yichud. By the way the issue is not merely for the one man- it is also for both of the women, they are equally prohibited to be in a yichud situation just like men.
Since we are dealing with an all religious crowd of people that are sensitive to others feelings, it is possible to explain to the other test takers that there is a yichud issue here, and that everyone here needs to either take the sign off, or open the door. If you have to leave, you can explain the situation to the others, let them know the various options, that the door should be left open, the sign can be taken off, or someone should be told that although there is a sign there, they may feel free to enter, (even if in actuality they don’t, it still makes them feel not secluded).
