It is forbidden for a man to have his hair cut by a woman, and for a woman to have her hair cut by a man.
It is permissible for a boy to kiss his younger sister, if she is under the age of twelve. Once she reaches the age of twelve, however, her older brother may not kiss her. It is permissible for a father to kiss his daughter and granddaughter, even after they are married. However, it is commendable to refrain from kissing one’s married granddaughters. Thus, on Friday night, when it is customary for parents and grandparents to kiss their children and give them blessings, it is permissible to kiss one’s daughter and granddaughter, though it is commendable not to kiss a married granddaughter.
It is forbidden to shake a woman’s hand, whether she is single or married. It goes without saying that one may not shake a woman’s hand in an affectionate fashion.
A woman may sing to herself, and a preschool teacher may sing to the children under her care, even if there is a non-Jewish man in the vicinity who will hear her singing.
It is proper to avoid calling a married woman by her first name, as hearing one’s name mentioned leads to feelings of closeness.
All these measures were enacted as safeguards that serve to ensure a proper distance between the genders, and thus protect against forbidden relationships. These measures assume particular importance in today’s day and age, when the society in which we live is especially promiscuous and frowns upon any sort of restraint in the area of relations between the genders. In order to counterbalance the rampant promiscuity and lewdness of contemporary society, it is especially important for us to exercise extreme caution and carefully abide by the aforementioned measures to avoid immoral behavior. Under today’s circumstances, these Halachot and safeguards become especially critical in our effort to protect ourselves against sinful behavior.
