Q&A: Should You Tell the Barber How to Cut Near the Sideburns
Should You Tell the Barber How to Cut Near the Sideburns
Question
Hello,
I go to a secular barber who trims between the sideburns and the ears with clippers. I understood that this is a problem and that the hair there should be cut with scissors. Should I tell him next time to do it with scissors? Because if I tell him, then maybe that will put into his head that it’s actually forbidden, and then every haircut he does from that point on he’ll have some awareness that he’s doing something that is halakhically forbidden, whereas maybe right now he isn’t aware of it at all.
I think the best thing would simply be to go to a different barber, but where I live there really aren’t many barbers, and even if I go somewhere else maybe the same problem will come up again.
Thank you
Answer
It is permitted with clippers set to some guard length. See the overview here:
https://www.yeshiva.org.il/ask/118460
You do not need to worry about the other person committing a transgression if you are making sure that you yourself do not violate a prohibition.
Hello,
Thank you for the answer.
I think he trims with the metal blade, which as far as I understand is a number 0, unless I’m missing something.