Not exactly. This explains it best...
I've heard that Orthodox men can't touch women. Is this true?
Answer:
First, let's look at the obligations that the Torah places on men:
* They are not to have sex with their wife while she is
menstruating, and for a specific period after the menstruation
ceases and the birth of a child. During the menstruation period
and similarly related prohibited periods, the wife is said to be
"niddah".
* They are not to commit sexual transgressions, that is, have sex
out of marriage or commit adultery.
The Shulchan Aruch in Even haEzer Chapter 21 talks about the
requirement of men being far from women lest men feel tempted to sin.
This even goes as far as to forbid gazing (not to be confused with
"looking at") women. This prohibition is also part of the idea of men
not touching women. There are those who hold that for men to touch
women (other than their wife at a permitted time) in any romantic way
("derech chibba") is a Toraitic prohibition, as all women must be
presumed to be in nidda (even when a woman is not having her period,
she is still in nida if she has not been to the mikvah.).Given all of
this, the Talmud specifies a number of restrictions to prevent men
from transgressing:
1. A man and his woman are not allowed to touch, if they are neither
related nor married. This is because of the fear that touching
might lead to sexual transgressions. As an extension of this,
Orthodox men aren't supposed to sit next to women to which they
are neither related nor married.
2. A husband and wife may not touch if the woman is menstruating, or
for a specified period after menstruation/childbirth (the length
of the period varies depending on the sex of the child). This is
because they are forbidden to have sex during this time, and the
thought is that if the husband and wife touch in any way, they may
be too strongly tempted.
Hence, during "niddah" (the time of the women's menstrual flow),
additional restrictions are in place. These extra stringencies
apply because the couple is already intimate; presumably, it
doesn't take much to lead to "the act". These stringencies
include:
+ They cannot touch (even indirectly using an intermediate
object).
+ They cannot handle an object at the same time.
+ They cannot sit together on an object that moves (a swing
etc..).
+ They cannot eat from the same plate.
+ They cannot serve food to each other.
+ They must sleep in separate beds.
+ They may not engage in flirtatious behavior.
+ Although spouses must continue to dress attractively, they
cannot dress provacatively.
+ They should cover parts of the body that are normally
uncovered only in front of their spouse.
+ They should not wear perfume, cologne, etc.
The only exception to these restrictions is pikuach nefesh (to
save a life). More information can be found in [5]Secret of Jewish
Femininity.
As a result of this, many couples that observe these laws sleep on
twin beds (pushed together during non-Niddah periods and during
the day, so as not to make the status public). Sometimes, "fences"
are used, such as one partner putting down something so the other
can pick it up.
3. Men and women shouldn't be mixed during prayer. This is because
the presence of the opposite sex is thought to be distracting
during prayer. Additionally, a person ought to pray from an
orientation of aloneness, as opposed to completeness.
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