The Torah commands in Parashat Kedoshim (Vayikra 19:27), “Lo Takifu Pe’at Roshechem,” which forbids cutting the sideburns – the hair at the sides of one’s face, next to the ears. The Sefer Ha’hinuch writes that the Torah forbade cutting one’s Pe’ot (sideburns) because the ancient pagan priests would cut their hair in this fashion, removing all the hair from the back of the ear until the forehead. In order to strengthen our firm rejection of pagan worship, the Torah forbids removing the sideburns the way the pagan priests would. The Gemara in Masechet Yebamot (5) comments that it is forbidden to remove all the hair on one’s head, making himself bald, because in so doing, he removes his Pe’ot. The Sefer Ha’hinuch addresses the question of why this needed to be stated, as it seems perfectly obvious. After all, once the Torah forbids removing one’s sideburns, why would anyone think that it would be permissible to remove all the hair on one’s head, which quite obviously entails the removal of the sideburns? The Sefer Ha’hinuch answers that the pagan priests specifically did not remove all their hair, and removed only the sideburns. Fundamentally, then, it should not be forbidden to remove all of one’s hair. The Gemara therefore clarifies that indeed, the Torah forbids removing all of one’s hair. The reason, the Sefer Ha’hinuch suggests, is that the Torah forbade this as a safeguard against the removal of only the Pe’ot. According to the Sefer Ha’hinuch, this is a rare instance where the Torah imposes its own safeguard, establishing a secondary prohibition in order to protect against a primary violation. In essence, the Torah forbids removing the Pe’ot alone, without removing the rest of one’s hair, but in practice, it forbids removing all of one’s hair as a safeguard against the removal of only the Pe’ot. This prohibition is directed both toward the barber who cuts the hair, and the individual whose hair is cut. The Gemara establishes that if the one whose hair is cut actively assisted in some way in the cutting of his sideburns, such as by turning his head, or lifting the sideburns for the barber, then both he and the barber are liable to Malkut. If the person receiving the haircut remains entirely passive, then he might nevertheless be in violation of this command for allowing his sideburns to be removed, but he is not liable to Malkut, because he did not perform a forbidden action. The Rambam writes that he heard from the elder scholars that the width of four hairs must remain in order to avoid violating this command. On the level of Torah law, removing one’s sideburns is forbidden only with a razor, but not if one removes the hair with scissors. The reason, presumably, is because it is only with a razor that one is able to completely remove the hairs. Nevertheless, according to some opinions, if the results of removing the sideburns with scissors resemble those of removing with a razor, then this is forbidden. (See Shulhan Aruch, Yoreh De’a 181.) This command applies in all places and in all times, and only to males. Although most Torah prohibitions apply equally to males and females, this command is exceptional in that it is not binding upon women. The reason is because this command is presented together with the prohibition against shaving the hair on one’s face, and it therefore applies only to those to whom that command applies. Quite obviously, the prohibition against shaving facial hair does not apply to women, and thus the prohibition against removing sideburns likewise does not apply to women. By extension, the Torah prohibition does not forbid a woman from removing a man’s sideburns. Nevertheless, the Sages enacted that a woman may not cut a man’s sideburns, and even the sideburns of a young boy. Generally, non-Jewish servants are included only in commands that are binding upon both men and women. Naturally, then, we would have assumed that they are excluded from the prohibition against removing sideburns. In truth, ho