Page 163 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

ןנברמ אברוצ שארה תואפ תוכלה · 161

a Bach, Yoreh Deah 181 אפק ד״וי | ח"ב 7 .

However in the Sefer HaMitzvot (negative mitzvot) 43, it is ג"מ ןמיס )ת"ל( תוצמה ןינמ רפסב םנמא
clarified that since it was clear to the Rav [Rambam] that this is ןישוע ויה ךכש ברהל ררבתנש יפלד ראובמ
what the priests of idolatry used to do – that they would shave רעש ןיחלגמ ויהש הרז הדובעה ירמוכ
the temples of their heads alone, he understood himself that ורסא הז םג יכ ותעדמ ןיבה דבל םיעדצה
the Torah also prohibited this so that one should not follow ןכו …םיוגה תוקוחב ךליל אלש ידכ בותכה
the statutes of the gentiles… and he [Rambam] writes similarly תיחשהל אלש תוצמב ד"מ ןמיסב בתכ
in Siman 44 regarding the prohibition of destroying [the corners
of] the beard… and in the sefer Moreh [Nevuchim], in the third קרפ ישילשה קלחב הרומה רפסבו …ןקזה
volume chapter 37 he writes in a similar fashion, as follows: ונושל הזו הזב אצויכ ןכ םג בתכ )אנ( ז"ל
“We have already clarified in our major work that rounding the תפקהש לודגה ונירוביחב ונראיב הנהו
corners of the head and the corners of the beard is prohibited as אוהש ינפמ רוסא ןקזה תאפו שארה תאפ
it is a practice of priests of idolatry, and this is also the reason to םג הביסה אוהו הרז הדובע ירמוכ ןוקית
prohibit sha’atnez (wearing clothing with wool and linen)… you בותכ הז אצמת 'וכו זנטעשה רוסאל ןכ
will find this written in their books.” [It is apparent] that the Rav הז םעט ברה ןיבהש הנה ל"כע םהירפסב
[Rambam] arrived at this reason that he wrote for the pe’ot הארש הממ ןקזהו שארה תאפל בתכש
of the head and the beard based on what he saw himeself that םתוא האר םג ז"ע ירמוכ ןישוע ךכש ויניעב
this is how the priests of idolatry act, and he also saw it written םעטב ברה בתכ הז לכו םהירפסב בותכ
in their books. And all this the Rav [Rambam] wrote about the
reason behind the mitzva in order to increase the warning, ואלה דבלמש הרהזאה לידגהל ידכ הוצמה
that aside from the prohibition stated explicitly with regard דוע ןקזהו שארה תואיפ חוליגב שרופמה
to cutting off the pe’ot of the head and the beard, he also תיבהו .וכלת אל םהיתוקוחבוד ואלב רבוע
violates the prohibition of not following their statutes. And אצמנ אלש אלא אוה ןוכנו …בתכ ףסוי
the Beit Yosef writes… and it is correct, but none of it is found אוה יתבתכש המ לבא ם"במרה ירבדב הזמ
in the words of the Rambam. But what I have written is explicit :וירפסב שרופמ
in his works.

RABBI YOEL SIRKIS – THE BACH (1561–1640)
Rav Sirkis was born in Lublin in 1561. At age fourteen he attended the yeshiva of Rav Shlomo ben Yehuda, and later studied at the
Yeshiva of Rabbi Phoebus in Brest-Litovsk. Rav Sirkis became known as one of the leading halachic authorities after the Rema and held
many important rabbinic positions in Poland, such as in Brisk, Krakow and elsewhere. He wrote many responsa but his magnum opus
was his commentary to the Arba Turim called the Bayit Chadash. Hence, he became known by the acronym Bach. His son-in-law and
student, Rav David HaLevi Segal (the Taz), also wrote an important commentary on the Shulchan Aruch and was the leading halachic
authority of his time. Rav Sirkis died in Krakow in 1640.

The Taz comments that there is in fact a practical halachic difference between the opinions as to the reason
for the mitzva, and this was the intention of the Tur in questioning the Rambam for providing a reason.

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