Page 198 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

196 · Hilchot Pe’ot Hazakan Tzurba M’Rabanan

The Terumat HaDeshen was concerned about using scissors for another reason, namely that perhaps one
may use the bottom blade alone to cut the hair without the opposite force of the top blade.

r Responsa Terumat HaDeshen 295 הצר ןמיס | ןשדה תמורת . 13
Question: Is there any reason to prohibit shaving the pe’ot of ןקזה תאפ חלגל רוסיא דונדינ שי :הלאש
one’s beard with scissors or not? ?ואל וא םירפסמב
Answer: It seems that there is room to be stringent, yet the ןיאש אלא רימחהל םוקמ שיד הארי :הבושת
world is not cautious about this matter. The Gilyon on Tosafot תופסותב ןויליגב בתכ .רבדב ןירהזנ םלועה
at the beginning of Masechet Shevuot states: “There are those ןירהזנ שי :ל”זו תועובש תכסמ שירב
that are careful when cutting with scissors not to move the
bottom blade, but only the top. For they are concerned that ןותחתב ןישוע ןיאש םיירפסמב םירפסמשכ
if they do anything with the bottom blade, perhaps the top םולכ ושעי םאש ןיששוח יכ ,ןוילעב אלא םולכ
blade will not cut at all, only the bottom, which would be ןוילעה גוז ךותחי אלש עראי אמש ןותחתב
considered like a razor.” But it is very difficult to be careful השק הנהו .ל”כע רעת ומכ אוהו ןותחתב אלא
about this. However, it seems that one should be careful not ןוכנד הארנ םנמא ,הז רבדב רהזנ תויהל דאמ
to use very sharp scissors, as there is no concern that the אוהש םיירפסמב ןקזה תאפ רפסי אלש רהזיל
bottom blade alone will cut the hair without the upper blade ןותחתה ךותחיש שחימל אכילד ,דאמ דודח
unless it is very sharp… …דאמ דודח אוהשכ אלא ןוילעה אלו

This is how the Rema rules as well:

a Rema, Yoreh Deah 181:10 י:אפק ד״וי | א”מר . 14

Rema: Nevertheless, we are careful when taking a haircut with םירפסמב ןירפתסמשכ םירהזנ מ”מו :הגה
2
scissors to shave with the top blade of the scissors [masperot] ןמ ןוילעה קלחב חוליגה ףקיה השעיש
and not with the bottom, lest one perform the entire action קלח םע לכה השעי ןפ ,ןותחתב אלו תורפסמה
with the bottom portion, which would be like a blade. .רעתכ יוהו ןותחתה

2. The Rema here refers to a very sharp instrument that is curved at the edge and used for cutting called a masporet. The idea expressed here (as well as
in the Terumat HaDeshen) is that the lower blade should be motionless upon the skin, while the upper blade alone should be used to shave the hairs.

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