May I sleep alone in my house?

May I sleep alone in my house?

A man should not sleep alone at night in a house; according to many poskim, this also applies to sleeping alone in a room, even if there are other people in the house. One of the reasons given for not sleeping alone is that it’s considered dangerous, and that the Satan takes the opportunity in such a case to emphasize a person’s shortcomings as an act of Heavenly prosecution. If the door of the room remains open or, according to some, even unlocked, it’s not considered being alone.

There are various solutions which are suggested as a means of sidestepping this issue. One which is acceptable to most poskim is to leave a light on in the room (or allow outside light in), since there’s only a problem if the room is completely dark.

A number of other justifications for leniency are mentioned, some of which are: sleeping in a room where there is a mezuzah or seforim (holy books), having recited krias shma al hamitah (the prayers before retiring for the night), and wearing tzitzis. Some poskim also state that sleeping shinas ara’i (for a short time) isn’t an issue, while some say that neither is sleeping in a beis hamidrash or in a sukkah. There are those who argue that this problem doesn't apply on Shabbos or Yom Tov, and certainly not on the first night of Pesach, when we are protected from harm. However, all of these leniencies are debated and contested by other poskim, and the only solution that is accepted by most authorities is leaving a light on, as mentioned above. Finally, some sources state that this halachah doesn’t apply to women. #499⁠

https://halacha2go.com?number=499

Practical Halacha: One minute a day. By Horav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, shlita, Mara D'asra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights.