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ןנברמ אברוצ שארה תואפ תוכלה · 169

a Biur Halacha, Orach Chaim 251:2 ב:אנר ח״וא | הכלה רואיב . 27

[One may take a haircut on Friday afternoon] even by a ןינעב ןנירייאד בגא – לארשי רפסמ וליפא
Jewish barber – Since we are discussing haircuts, I saw fit to המ דחא ןינע ריכזהל יתיאר תרופסת
mention one matter where many people have stumbled due to ןינעב אוהו ה"ועב וב ןילשכנ ןומהמ הזיאש
our numerous sins, and that is regarding the prohibition of cutting ראבאש ומכו שארה תאפ תפקהד רוסיא
the pe’ot of one’s head, as I will clarify. For it is well known that שי שארה תאפ תפקה רוסיא לעד עודי יכ
the prohibition of cutting the pe’ot of one’s head involves a Torah תאפ ופיקת אלד ואלה אוהו הרותב ואל כ"ג
violation, and that is the prohibition of “do not round the corners
of your head,” and some hold that the pe’ot of the head are even תאפמ דוע רומח שארה תאפד א"יו םכשאר
more stringent than [the prohibition of cutting] the pe’ot of םיריבעמ םא 'יפא ואלה לע רבועד ןקז
one’s beard, as one transgresses the prohibition even if one …ורשבל ךומס ונייהד רעת ןיעכ םירפסמב
cuts with scissors similar to a blade, i.e., level, to the skin… דע תואפה תא ןיריבעמש יוצמ ה"ועבו
Now due to our numerous sins, it is common that people cut the שיו ללכ ןיריישמ ןיאו שממ ןרשבל ךומס
corners very close to the skin, and do not leave [any hair] at all, פ"כע ריישל םהל היהו אתיירואד ששח הזב
which involves a concern of a Torah [violation]. They should at רפסמה םא וליפא כ"עו …תצקה ןמ תצק
least leave a minimal amount [of hair]… Therefore, even if the אלש וריהזהל לארשיל שי ידוהי וניא אוה
barber is not Jewish, the Jew should warn him not to touch this …אוהה םוקמב ללכ וב עגי
area at all.

The intention of the Biur Halacha is that according to the Rosh, it is a Torah violation to cut the pe’ot of the
head with a scissors level to the skin, and even though some stubble might remain, it is still a prohibition.
Therefore, the Biur Halacha argues that one needs to leave “a minimal amount [lit. a little of a little]” of hair
slightly longer than stubble. However, many poskim (Chatam Sofer, Rabbi Akiva Eiger, and Rav Dovid
Zvi Hoffman in Melamed Leho’il) disagree with the more lenient opinion of the Biur Halacha and hold that
one must leave the length of the hair that one would be able to fold back to its root, which is between 3-5
millimeters, or .12-.20 inches.

a Responsa Melamed Leho’il 2:64 דס:ב | ליעוהל דמלמ ת"וש . 28

If so, one must say that by Torah law, it is not considered cutting בישח אל אתיירואדמד ל"צ ךחרכ לע כ"או
off [that is prohibited] unless there remains less than the measure ןשאר ףוכל ידכ רייתשנ אל כ"אא חולג
of [hairs long enough to] be bent from the top of the head back to בישח הזכ רועיש רייתשנ אל םאו ןרקיעל
their root. If this length does not remain, it is considered as cut off .ם"במרה תעדל פ"הכל חלוגמכ
at least according to the Rambam.

Rav Hoffman is referring here to a ruling of the Rambam concerning a nazir (nazirite), who is forbidden
to shave his hair, that he does not receive malkut (lashes) for doing so unless he left less than the amount
needed to “be bent from the top of the head back to their root.” Consequently, he argues that the same
measure should apply to the prohibition of pe’ot harosh for a non-nazir as well.

r Rambam, Hilchot Nezirut 5:11 אי:ה תוריזנ ׳לה | ם"במר . 29
A nazirite that cuts off one hair, whether using a razor or a scissor, ןיב רעתב ןיב הקול תחא הרעש חלגש ריזנ
receives lashes, provided he cuts it from its roots as a razor …רעת ןיעכ הרקיעמ הצצקש אוהו גוזב
would… If he left enough that when bent over its head it touches הרקיעל השאר ףוכל ידכ ונממ חינה םאו
its root, he does not receive lashes, as this is not similar to a razor. .רעת ןיעכ הז ןיאש הקול וניא

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