Page 197 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

ןנברמ אברוצ ןקזה תואפ תוכלה · 195

By contrast, the Chatam Sofer prohibits using scissors as a blade and opines that this is actually a Torah
violation (against most other poskim), though one is not liable to lashes for it.

a Responsa Chatam Sofer 2:139 | רפוס םתח ת”וש . 11
Furthermore it seems to me that we prohibit scissors similar טלק )ד״וי( ב קלח
to a razor regarding the pe’ot of the head, not because of םירפסמ רוסאל םיספות ונאש המ ל”נ דועו
the reason of Tosafot and Rosh who distinguish between ’סותה םעטמ ואל שארה תאפב רעת ןיעכ
1
the pe’ot of the head and the pe’ot of the beard. Rather, it is שאר ןיב קלחל ל”סד הלע ןניאתא ש”ארהו
because of the reason brought in the Gilyon of Tosafot, which
was cited in the Terumat Hadeshen cited in the Beit Yosef – ד”התב איבהש תופסות ןוילג םעטמ אלא ןקזל
who hold that even regarding the beard, scissors similar to a םירפסמ ןקזב םג רוסאל ל”סד ףסוי התיב אבוה
razor is prohibited… …רעת ןיעכ

Some poskim hold that it is prohibited to use any scissors to shave (even when not used like a blade) due
to the prohibition of “lo yilbash gever,” a man not wearing the clothes of a woman (Devarim 22:5). But most
poskim, including the Seridei Eish (Rabbi Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg), argue that this prohibition applies only
with regard to matters that are potentially relevant to both men and women, which is not the case with
regard to beards and shaving.

p Responsa Seridei Eish 2:41 אמ:ב | שא ידירש ת”וש . 12

Here I need to note that the opinion of the holy Gaon the שודקה ןואגה תעדש ריעהל ינא ךירצ ןאכו
Tzemach Tzedek was that it is prohibited to cut one’s beard רעש רפתסהל שיאל רוסאש ,קדצ חמצ לעב
even with scissors that are not similar to a blade, due to the םעטמ רעת ןיעכ אלש םיירפסמב וליפא ונקז
prohibition of “lo yilbash gever”… And although I am not fit to לע קולחל יואר יניא יכ םאו …רבג שבלי אל
argue with the holy Gaon the Tzemach Tzedek, nevertheless ינא הצור מ”מ ,קדצ חמצ לעב שודקה ןואגה
I want to show merit for those who are lenient, for shaving ןקזה חוליגש ,הזב םיליקמה לע תוכז דמלל
the beard with scissors similar to a blade is not comparable to
shaving the armpit; for the latter is a beautification of women תיב חוליגל המוד וניא רעת ןיעכ םיירפסמב
who do this and all beautification of women is prohibited, but תוגהונש םישנה טושיק אוה הזש ,יחשה
shaving one’s beard is not a beautification of women, for they כ”אשמ ,רוסא םישנ טושיק לכו ןכ תושעל
don’t have beards. .ןקז םהל ןיאש ,םישנ טושיק וניא ןקזה חוליג

The bottom line is that most poskim, including the Shulchan Aruch, permit using a scissors used as a blade to
shave one’s beard, while a minority of poskim, such as the Chatam Sofer and Tzemach Tzedek, are more stringent.

1. The opinion of the Rosh and Tosafot were brought in the previous shiur. They hold that one may use scissors similar to a blade upon the beard but
not with regard to pe’ot harosh. [Addition of the editors of the English edition]

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