Page 165 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

ןנברמ אברוצ שארה תואפ תוכלה · 163

h Masechet Makkot 20b :כ תוכמ תכסמ . 11
The Sages taught: The corner of his head is the extremity of ףוס והזיאו ,ושאר ףוס – ושאר תאפ :ר"ת
his head. And what is the extremity of his head? This is one ונזא ירוחאל ויעדצ הושמה הז ?ושאר
who levels the hairline of his temples to the hairline behind .ותחדפלו
his ear and to the hairline of his forehead.

1
r Rivan, Masechet Makkot 20b :כ תוכמ תכסמ | ן”ביר . 12
What is the extremity of his head – [I.e.,] in which manner ףוס ףיקמ אהי ןינע הזיאב – ושאר ףוס והזיאו
would one who cuts off the extremity of the head be liable for .ופיקת לבב בייח אהיש שארה
the transgression “do not round”?
ירוחא – ותחדפלו ונזא ירוחאל ויעדצ הושמה
One who levels his temples to behind his ears and his םולכ רעיש ןיא וחצמב ךכו םולכ רעיש ןיא ונזא
forehead – Behind his ears there is no hair at all and similarly אוה םאו רעיש שי עצמאבש ויעדצב לבא
on his forehead there is no hair at all. But there is hair at his
temples in the middle area, and if one levels and removes all ירוחא תדמל ויעדצבש רעישה לכ לטונו הושמ
the hair on his temples to the extent equal to that of behind .שארה ףוס ףיקמ והז ותחדפו ונזא
his ears and his forehead; this is considered rounding the
extremity of the head.

We will see in the next shiur that the prohibition of shaving the pe’ot of the beard applies only to doing so
with a razor, which destroys it. But with regard to the pe’ot harosh, the Torah simply states, “do not round the
corners of your head.” Consequently, the Rishonim disagree whether this prohibition is also limited to a razor,
or a scissors that is used similar to a razor (i.e., one uses it to cut the hair very close to the skin) is also included.
A practical difference between these two options might be whether it is permitted to use an electrical haircut
machine on a setting that cuts the hair very close to the skin.
The Rambam holds that the phrase in the Mishna of “and he is only liable for taking them off with a razor” is
referring to both the pe’ot harosh and pe’ot of the beard. Therefore, he rules that it is permitted to cut off one’s
pe’ot with a scissors used as a blade.

r Rambam, Hilchot Avoda Zara 12:6 ו:בי הרז הדובע ׳לה | ם"במר . 13
[Concerning] the pe’ah [of the head] that one must leave on םימכח וב ונתנ אל םיעדצב םיחינמש וז האפו
the temples, the Sages didn’t give a measurement, but we have תוחפ חינמ וניאש ונינקזמ ונעמשו רועיש
heard from our elders that one may not leave less than forty תואפה טקלל רתומו ,תורעש םיעבראמ
hairs. It is permitted to cut the corners with scissors, [as] it .רעתב התחשה אלא רסאנ אל םיירפסמב
is only prohibited by way of destruction with a razor [i.e., a
blade].

1. The Rivan, Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Natan, was Rashi’s son-in-law. On the previous page of Masechet Makkot (19b), there is a comment in the
middle of Rashi’s commentary stating: “Our teacher [Rashi], his body was pure, and his soul departed in purity, did not explain any more. From
this point onward is the commentary of his student Rabbi Yehuda son of Rabbi Natan.” This commentary of the Rivan continues in place of Rashi’s
through the end of the masechet.

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