Page 172 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

170 · Hilchot Pe’ot Harosh Tzurba M’Rabanan

The Amount of Hair (Width) Necessary to Leave for the Pe’ot

In the previous section, we addressed the necessary length of the hairs within the area of the pe’ot.
Commentaries also dispute the amount of hairs necessary to leave within the area of the pe’ot. The Rambam
writes (in the same halacha cited above in source #13) that one must leave forty hairs.

r Rambam, Hilchot Avoda Zara 12:6 ו:בי הרז הדובע ׳לה | ם"במר . 30
Regarding this pe’ah that must be left on the temples, the Sages וב ונתנ אל םיעדצב םיחינמש וז האפו
did not specify a [particular] size. But we heard from our elders חינמ וניאש ונינקזמ ונעמשו רועיש םימכח
that one may not leave less than forty hairs. And it is permitted טקלל רתומו ,תורעש םיעבראמ תוחפ
to cut the pe’ot with a pair of scissors, [as] the prohibition applies התחשה אלא רסאנ אל םיירפסמב תואפה
only to destroying [it] with a razor.
.רעתב

The Tur though quotes the Rambam as holding that one must leave only four hairs, rather than forty.

r Tur, Yoreh Deah 181 אפק ד״וי | רוט . 31
The Rambam writes that “regarding the measurement of the pe’ot, ונתנ אל תואיפה רועיש ם"במרה בתכ
the Sages didn’t specify a [particular] size. But we have heard ןיחינמ ןיאש ונינקזמ ונעמשו רועיש םימכח
from our elders that one may not leave less than four hairs.” .תורעש 'דמ תוחפ

The Beit Yosef explains that the Tur had a different version of the text of the Rambam here. The Beit Yosef
though questions both versions of the Rambam by asking how such a small amount of hair could possibly be
sufficient to leave for the pe’ot. He suggests a resolution that is also somewhat forced.

r Beit Yosef, Yoreh Deah 181 אפק ד״וי | ףסוי תיב . 32

“But we have heard from our elders that one may not leave less than 'דמ תוחפ ןיחינמ ןיאש ונינקזמ ונעמשו
four hairs”… and there are some versions in which it is written, ןיאש םהב בותכש תואחסונ שיו …תורעש
“that one may not leave less than forty hairs”… Now what can המ לבא …תורעש םיעבראמ תוחפ ןיחינמ
be noted in the words of the Rambam is that according to the םירפסלד אוה ם"במרה ירבדב קדקדל שיש
versions with the text of four hairs, this is a tiny amount. Even טעומ רועיש איוה תורעש עברא יסרגד
according to the versions with the text of forty hairs, this is still םיעברא יסרגד םירפסל וליפאו רתויב
a small amount. And Rashi [i.e., the Rivan] writes at the end of
Makkot regarding the pe’ot of the beard: “There are five pe’ot of the בתכ י"שרו טעומ רועיש יוה יתכא תורעש
beard. One of them is the point below the ear where the lower jaw תואפ יבג )ןאכמ םיתש ה"ד .כ( תוכמ ףוסב
juts out and separates, and that is called the pe’ah at the edge of the ןמ הטמל תחא ןקזב שי תואפ שמח ןקזה
jaw, which protrudes outwards, which is where the beard begins, דרפתמו אצוי ןותחתה יחלהש םוקמ ןזואה
and everything above that until the temple is considered part of טלובש יחל לש ודוחב האפ ארקנ םשו םש
the pe’ah of the head.” And regarding the beraita: “The pe’ah of his דע הלעמלש לכו ןקזה תלחתמ םשש ץוחל
head is the extremity of his head. And what is the extremity of his אהאו ל"כע איה שארה תאפ ללכב אעדיצה
head? This is one who levels [the hairline of] his temples to the ושאר ףוס ושאר תאפ ):םש( ןנבר ונתד

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