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Shomer Negiah/talking to a man

Question:

Hi,
I’m a teenager with a question and a conscious that’s been niggling at me for the past few days.
I was walking home with a few grocery bags, when it started pouring rain. I was only a few blocks away from my house, do I could stand it. I was getting soaked, but it was only water.
Then a young man was walking up my way with an umbrella and offered to walk me home. I declined, it wasn’t that bad. But he insisted, and so I relented. He was frum. He was talking the whole way. Turns out he knows my grandfather who is his Rebbi in a Yeshiva for Baal Teshuvos. It was very nice of him and all, but I think I went against Halacha by walking and talking with someone from the opposite gender. How can I atone for my sin? And how bad was it?
Thank you,
Sincerely, me.

Answer:

It is very good that are careful to act with caution and tznius when encountering boys, and that you are careful about these things. Halachically though, you didn’t do anything wrong, and you did the best you could in that situation. Although you felt uncomfortable talking to the boy, if you are in a situation that you are only answering him and talking because of derech eretz, or some other need, and not in order to enjoy the conversation with a boy, it is permitted. According to what you described, I don’t think you have to do anything to atone for what happened.

May H-shem send you much hatzlocho

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