Page 170 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

168 · Hilchot Pe’ot Harosh Tzurba M’Rabanan

a Responsa Imrei Yosher 2:183:2 ב:גפק:ב | רשוי ירמא ת"וש . 25

Now the Torah law is clear that it is as his honor wrote, for the דובכ בתכש ומכ יאדווב הרותה ןמ הנה
violation of rounding the pe’ot of his head is when he levels [the ויעדצ הוושמב שארה תפקה ירהד ,ותרות
hair next to] his temples to that behind his ears. Therefore, if he ירוחאל הוושמ וניאב ןכ םאו ,ונזא ירוחאל
didn’t level them, but left a bit below, he does not transgress the וניא בוש – הטמל טעמ חינמש – ונזא
violation. Now in truth the place where his honor wrote – being ותרות דובכ בתכש רועישה תמאבו .רבוע
the connection of the temples – is a bit below the place behind הטמל טעמ אוה – םיעדצה רוביח םוקמ –
his ears. It is possible that the Shulchan Aruch is stringent on a
rabbinic level until the end of the ear, as we aren’t experts in these ןחלושב רימחמד ,רשפאו .ונזוא ירוחאמ
exact measurements… nevertheless this stringency is only until ונא ןיאד ,ןזואה לכ רחא דע ןנברדמ ךורע
the point of the lobe, as from that point onwards it is not called לכ-לע …םירועיש םוצמצב ךכ לכ םיאיקב
the “ear.” ךרה רוע דע קר איה ארמוחהד ,הארנ םינפ
.ןזוא" יורק וניא ךליאו םשמד ,ןזואה לש

Rav Chaim Dovid HaLevi notes that the Beit Yosef refers to following the second opinion as “zehirut,”
cautiousness, rather than an absolute obligation to do so. He explains that perhaps this is the basis for the
widespread custom not to be stringent in accordance with the second opinion. 3

p Responsa Asei Lecha Rav 9:14 די:ט | בר ךל השע ת"וש . 26
In my humble opinion, it seems that our teacher [Shulchan Aruch] אל אוה ןכ קספש ןרמש הארנ ד"נעלו
ruled this way not as absolute halacha, for his language in the Beit ףסוי – תיבב ונושל ןכש ,שממ ןידה ןמ
Yosef does not indicate that… [rather] this is an expression of אלו איה תוריהז ןושל וזו …ןכ הרומ הניא
caution, and not one of prohibition, and he writes this since it is אקיפס אוהש םושמ ןכ בתכו רוסיא ןושל
an uncertainty regarding a Torah [violation]. And even though in קספ ךורע – ןחלושבש ףאו .אתיירואד
the Shulchan Aruch he [Rav Karo] ruled to prohibit this without עמשמו וגישה אל א"מרה םגו ,רוסאל םתס
specification, and the Rema did not comment, indicating that he
agrees; it is possible that this is the reason why this halacha was הבסה תאז לכב וזש ןכתי ,ומע םיכסהש
not accepted by all of Israel: For they viewed this as a stringency, ,לארשי לכב תאז הקיספ הלבקתנ אלש
and not halacha. .ןיד אלו ארמוח הב וארש םושמ

The Length of the Hairs

How long must the hair be that is left in the locations included as pe’ot harosh? The Biur Halacha (written by
the Chafetz Chaim) addresses this question in Hilchot Shabbat and states that one must leave at least a small
amount of hair.

3. For other ways of interpreting the accepted opinion in the Shulchan Aruch that reflect the common practice, see www.cckollel.org/parsha_
encounters/5770/shemos_70.pdf referenced above. [Addition of the editors of the English edition]

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