Page 182 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

180 · Hilchot Pe’ot Harosh Tzurba M’Rabanan

Further Iyun

Allowing One’s Pe’ot Harosh to be Removed:
The Laws of Mesaye’a in Halacha

Rav Jeremy Koolyk (Participant, the Manhigut Toranit Program)

)זכ:טי ארקיו( ”םכשאר תאפ ופקת אל“ .לכה ירבדו עייסמב :רמוא ישא בר .לכה
In this pasuk, the Torah prohibits Jew- “A Tanna taught before Rav Chisda: Both
ish men from rounding the “corners” of the makif (he who removes the hair) and
their heads. The Talmud explains that the nikaf (he whose hair is removed) re-
1
the intention of this pasuk is to prohib- ceive lashes. Said (Rav Chisda) to him:
it making a uniform hairline between ‘Does one who eats dates from a sieve get
one’s temple and the bare skin above lashed? According to whom is your state-
one’s ear by removing the hair between these two ment? Rabbi Yehuda, who says one receives
2
points. Rambam writes that the clergymen of lashes for violating a negative commandment
avoda zara used to shave their heads in this man- that has no action. Rava said: (The Tanna re-
ner, and thus the Torah prohibited doing so in fers to a case in which) one removes his own
order to distance the Jewish people from avoda hair, and his statement is agreed upon by every-
zara practices. In this article, we will first explore one (even those who disagree with Rabbi Ye-
to whom this negative commandment (lav) ap- huda). Rav Ashi said: (The Tanna refers to a
plies and then discuss both the local and global case in which the nikaf) is assisting (the makif)
ramifications of our conclusions. and his statement is agreed upon by everyone
From the terminology of the pasuk, ופקת אל, (even those who disagree with Rabbi Yehuda).”
our first instinct is that this commandment is di- From the Talmud, it appears evident that the nikaf
rected toward the ףיקמ, the one who removes the also violates a lav since the Tanna states that there
שארה תואפ, “corners of the head” (as opposed to are instances in which the nikaf receives lashes.
the ףקינ, the one whose תואפ are removed), i.e., Apparently, the nikaf has somehow also violated
the barber. Nonetheless, the Talmud (Makkot the commandment of ופקת אל. Rashi offers two
20b) may indicate differently:
explanations as to how the words ופקת אל can
ףקינה דחאו ףיקמה דחא :אדסח ברד הימק אנת ינת suggest that there is a negative commandment
?יקל אליבראב ירמת ליכאד ןאמ :היל רמא .הקול which devolves upon the nikaf:
וב ןיאש ואל :רמאד ,איה הדוהי יבר ?ינמ :ךל רמאד 1. The term ופקת אל does not mean merely
ירבדו ומצעל ףיקמב :רמוא אבר .וילע ןיקול השעמ
‘do not round of the corners of’, but rather
it also means ‘do not allow one to round the
corners of (one’s own head),’ thus including

1. Makkot 20b
2. Sefer HaMitzvot, Lo Taaseh 43; Hilchot Avoda Zara 12:1

This volume is not to be distributed. Copies are for the personal use of purchaser only.