Page 167 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

ןנברמ אברוצ שארה תואפ תוכלה · 165

The Exact Dimensions of the

Pe’ot Harosh

In order to better understand the parameters of the prohibition of cutting the pe’ot harosh, we need to
identify which locations on one’s head are considered the pe’ot, or corners. The Torah does not describe their
precise location, but the Mishna and Gemara in Masechet Makkot give us a somewhat better idea.

h Mishna, Masechet Makkot 3:5 ה:ג תוכמ תכסמ | הנשמ . 17
One who rounds the corners of his head… Regarding ןאכמ תחא םיתש שארה לע …ושאר תאפ ףיקמהו
the head, there are two, one on this side and one on .ןאכמ תחאו
that side.
r Rivan, Masechet Makkot 20a .כ תוכמ תכסמ | ן"ביר . 18

He is liable regarding the head – One is liable for תויקלמ יתש בייח שארה תפקה לע – שארה לע בייח
two sets of lashes for rounding one’s head, as the head םוקמ תוכיתח יתשכ שארהש שארל ול שי תואפ יתשד
has two pe’ot, since the head has two parts: תחא הכיתח ןקזהו םינפה םוקמו תחא הכיתח רעישה
A) The part where the hair grows ןיזעולש םוקמ וינפלמ ןזואה דצב וז םע וז תורבחתמו
B) The part with the face and the beard. [These two םוקמ שארה ףוס םשש האפ ארקנ םשו א"לפנט
parts] join together in front of the ear which is called ןאכמ אעדיצ תואפ יתש ול שיש אצמנו םיקרפה רוביח
the temple in the vernacular. This is called the pe’ah, תחא תבב ןלטנ וליפא םיתש ןהילע בייחו ןאכמ אעדיצו
which is the end of the head, the place of the joining .וידי יתשב
of the sections. Therefore, one has two pe’ot [which
consist of] one temple on this [side] and one temple
on that [side], and one is liable for two sets of lashes
even if one removed them simultaneously with his
two hands.

The Upper Edge of the Pe’ot

Now that we have identified the general area of the pe’ot, we can examine where the
upper and lower edges of the pe’ot are within which area it is forbidden to cut close
to the skin. According to the commentary of the Yad Haketana on the Rambam, the
2
upper edge is located parallel to the top of the ear (see illustration).

2. For some additional color illustrations and expanded details (including some guidelines from Rav Yisrael Belsky zt”l) concerning cutting one’s
pe’ot see: www.chinuch.org/item_detail/The-Kosher-Haircut-Guide-Cutting-Peyos-According-to-Halacha-Poster, and www.cckollel.org/
parsha_encounters/5770/shemos_70.pdf. [Addition of the editors of the English edition]

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