NUM299 We must respect the privacy of others. When Bilaam saw that the tents of the Jewish people were set up so that the entrance of one did not face the entrance of another, he said this verse. (Rashi) People are naturally curious and are interested in knowing about the comings and goings of their neighbors. That is exactly why our forefathers, during their four years in the desert, encamped in such a manner that would ensure the greatest amount privacy. We have an obligation to respect the right to privacy of others. When passing someone's window, we must resist the temptation to look in. (See Choshen Mishpot 159 for the laws concerning a neighbor's rights to privacy). Because of our obligation to respect the privacy of others, Rabainu Gershom placed a chairem (a ban with the penalty of excommunication) on reading someone else's mail without permission (B'air Hagolah, Yorah Daiah 334:123). Even parents should not read the mail of their children without permission (see Rav Chayim Palaji, p. 18).