Ask the Rabbi
- Halacha
- Miscellaneous
- General Questions
Question
Is it permissible for a gentile to shave a Jew’s face with a straight razor?
Answer
No it is forbidden. It is explicit in Shulcan Aruch Yoreh De'ah (181:4). The prohibition is not only when one does to himself or another Jew but even to be passively shaved in a forbidden way by one who is not under the prohibition, such as a gentile.
shaving with a razor blade
Rabbi David Sperling | Elul 6, 5773
Eating vis a vis benefiting
Rabbi David Sperling | Shevat 8, 5784
The Meaning of the Abbreviation "Shlita"
Various Rabbis | 25 Tammuz 5765
