Page 215 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

ןנברמ אברוצ ןקזה תואפ תוכלה · 213

Another Possibility of Understanding the manner as a razor itself?
12
Definition of Giluach/Shaving The Rambam writes: “Therefore, if he
The Meiri has an interesting explanation, which shaved his beard with a scissors similar to a blade,
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can be understood in two ways: “If this pro- he is exempt.” The Sefer HaChinuch under-
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cedure was done with a melaket and rehitny and stands from the Rambam’s usage of “exempt”
other similar tools, which are used to pluck the that he held that it is still prohibited on a rabbin-
hair and remove it from the root, one is exempt, ic level. 14
as this is not shaving. What is shaving that in- The Kesef Mishneh argues that the Rambam
volves destroying? This is the razor.” It is clear holds that using scissors similar to a blade is com-
from the contrast he makes between melaket and pletely permissible. The Rambam stated that one
rehitny and a razor that “shaving” is the manner is exempt, rather than stating it is permitted be-
of action. In other words, what differentiates cause the wording of the sugya is also “exempt,”
between melaket and rehitny and a razor is the even though it really means permitted, and the
manner of use, and not the frequency of use, as Rambam followed the wording of the sugya. In
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opined by Tosafot. the same vein, the Shulchan Aruch rules that
As opposed to Tosafot, who explain that if scissors like a blade is permitted. From the Ge-
mara in Makkot above, it seems that scissors are
it’s not frequently used, it cannot be considered permitted, since, even though they involve shav-
shaving, the Meiri seems to be focusing on the ing, they do not involve marring. Seemingly then,
fact that this action of pulling individual hairs dif- “scissors like a blade” would also be permitted be-
fers from the usual action of shaving. cause they do not completely remove and “mar”
There are two ways of understanding the the hair in the way that a razor does.
Meiri: First, one can say that the difference is be- After clarifying these terms, we can now dis-
tween tools used to cut hair that function by cut- cuss shaving with an electric shaver. A large group
ting a large quantity of hair, which is considered of modern poskim agree that modern shavers in-
shaving, and melaket and rehitny, which work by volve hashchata. Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz
plucking each hair individually. Alternatively, shlita writes very clearly that “it is very evident
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one could explain that the distinction is between to all that a shaver destroys the skin… anybody
tools that cut the hair and tools that pull the hair looking at a man who shaved with a shaver, even
from its root, which is not considered shaving. the types that are not as sophisticated, can see

Application of These Definitions to the that his face is cleanly shaven.”
If there is no heter for modern shavers in terms
Halachic Status of Electric Shavers of hashchata (according to these poskim), per-
One final term must be clarified before under- haps there is room for leniency in terms of how
standing how this all relates to electric shavers: one defines shaving.
“רעת ןיעכ םיירפסמ”, scissors like a blade. Is a
scissors used like a razor forbidden in the same Based on Tosafot’s definition that shaving is
defined by the frequency of the use of the specific

11. Masechet Kiddushin 35b
12. Hilchot Avoda Zara 12:7
13. Mitzva 252
14. On Rambam, ibid.
15. Shulchan Aruch, Y.D. 181:10
16. Melumadei Milchama, page 281

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