Page 202 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

200 · Hilchot Pe’ot Hazakan Tzurba M’Rabanan

Electric Shavers

6
Recent poskim have disputed the halachic permissibility of using electric shavers. The basis of the discussion
is the statement of the Mishna (Makkot 20a) cited above that the prohibition is only transgressed when
using a blade, and the explanation of the Gemara there that it must be “shaving that destroys [hashchata].”
Accordingly, two basic leniencies exist:
• Anything that doesn’t destroy, i.e., uproot the hairs at or near their root, such as scissors, would be
permitted, as the quality of the shave is significantly reduced.
• Any device that does not “shave,” such as tweezers or a plane would be permitted, as that is not
considered shaving (as per the Gemara there, cited above in source #4).
We mentioned earlier that the majority of Rishonim hold that it is permitted to shave one’s beard even with a
scissors that is similar to a blade, and that this is the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch. According to this, it would
seem that an electric shaver would be permitted. Even according to the Ritva who held that one should not
shave with scissors similar to a blade as a midat chasidut due to marit ayin, today there is no such concern
according to Rav Ovadia Yosef:

p Responsa Yabia Omer 9, Yoreh Deah 10 י ד״וי ,ט קלח | רמוא עיבי ת”וש 21 .

Even though the Ritva writes that it is a midat chasidut to be רהזהל םידיסח תדמש א”בטירה ש”מ ףאו
careful [not to shave with scissors similar to a blade] due to הברהש ז”הזבש הארנ ,םיאורה דשח ינפמ
the suspicion of onlookers, it seems that in our times where ,רתיהה רבד םסרופמו הנוכמב םנקז םיחלגמ
many shave with an electric shaver and the leniency is well ךייש וניא א”בטירה בתכש דשח םעט וליפא
publicized, even the reason of suspicion that the Ritva writes ,רתיה ךרד שיש םסרופמ רבדהש לכש ,ךכ לכ
doesn’t apply as much; for whenever it is well publicized that …ןיעה תיארמ םושמ רוסיא וב ךייש אל
there is a permitted way to do something, there is no problem
of marit ayin…

Furthermore, even according to the Terumat HaDeshen and Rema that hold that when using scissors, one
must keep the bottom blade stationary and only move the top one, in the case of electric shavers the outside
metal screen is stationary, and the hairs enter the shaver through the holes in the screen and are cut from
the upper blade.
Based on this, the act of shaving with an electric shaver should be classified as shaving with a scissors, which
is permissible. However, the result achieved through shaving with an electric shaver is very similar to a blade,
and according to Tosafot in Masechet Nazir, the leniency applies only when the scissors do not remove the
hair from the root. The question therefore is whether to follow the nature of the act, which would permit it,
or to follow the result, which is similar to the prohibited type of shaving.

6. For additional elaboration on this subject in English, see David Schwartz, “Electric Shavers,” Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, Fall
1998. [Addition of the editors of the English edition]

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