Q&A: A Haircut for a Husband by His Wife While She Is a Niddah
A Haircut for a Husband by His Wife While She Is a Niddah
Question
A man whose wife is a niddah cannot cut his own hair, and also cannot get a haircut from another man because of the coronavirus crisis. May one be lenient and allow his wife to cut his hair with a hair clipper?
It should be added that there is an idea of getting a haircut before the holiday, and that after the holiday there is a halakhic and social impediment to getting a haircut because of the Counting of the Omer period (in some communities until the holiday of Shavuot).
I would appreciate an answer with sources.
Answer
You can see an overview of the distancing restrictions here:
https://www.yeshiva.org.il/wiki/index.php?title=%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%97%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%AA_%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%A9%D7%AA%D7%95_%D7%A0%D7%93%D7%94#.D7.94.D7.98.D7.99.D7.A4.D7.95.D7.9C_.D7.91.D7.91.D7.A2.D7.9C_.D7.97.D7.95.D7.9C.D7.94_.D7.A2.D7.9C_.D7.99.D7.93.D7.99_.D7.90.D7.A9.D7.AA.D7.95_.D7.A0.D7.93.D7.94_.28.D7.90.D7.A0.D7.A6.D7.99.D7.A7.D7.9C.D7.95.D7.A4.D7.93.D7.99.D7.94_.D7.94.D7.9C.D7.9B.D7.AA.D7.99.D7.AA_.D7.A8.D7.A4.D7.95.D7.90.D7.99.D7.AA.29
In the case of a sick person who is not in danger, they permitted this in several ways, and it is preferable with a cloth barrier so that there is no direct contact. A haircut is not an affectionate act, and perhaps one can be lenient in this case as well.
But I think that a haircut for the holiday is not a reason for which it is proper to be lenient. It is not similar to a sick person who is not in danger, because that is a matter of a commandment and not the husband's personal need.
Discussion on Answer
As I wrote, I do not think one can really prohibit it outright. But in my opinion it is not appropriate to do so just for a holiday haircut. If it is a matter of extreme discomfort, then perhaps yes.
And after the holiday, would it be permitted to get a haircut during the Omer period?
If it is very bothersome, then there is room to be lenient (the prohibition on haircuts is from the medieval authorities (Rishonim) and not from Talmudic law). In general, only a regular haircut that has an element of festivity was prohibited, but it is permitted to trim the mustache if it interferes with eating. Likewise, someone whose overgrown hair causes headaches or who has sores on his scalp—and I assume that even if it is very bothersome without sores, he may get a haircut during these days (Shulchan Arukh 551:13; 531:8, Mishnah Berurah 21, and in Biur Halakhah there).
Remember that this year the first of Iyar falls on the Sabbath, and according to Ashkenazi custom it is permitted to get a haircut in honor of the Sabbath. See Mishnah Berurah 493:5. Therefore I would wait until then; that is the easiest option.
Thank you.
I am talking about a haircut in a case where the man needs it because of his personal sense of discomfort, not only because of the commandment.
There is another point here: a haircut with hair clippers does not require actual contact, because the woman is touching the machine, and the machine is touching the man.