Makkot 20b (thank you Daf Yomi!)Sima Zand
Question: What is the case of four or five Karachos? (If he did one after the other and he was warned before each one, obviously he is lashed for every one!)Suggested answer: Rather, he was warned only once. Rejection: If so, he is liable only once! Quotes (Mishnah): If a Nazir drank wine all day, he gets only 40 lashes. If he was warned repeatedly, he gets 40 lashes for each warning he transgressed.Answer: Rather, he put Nasa (a potion that makes hair fall out and prevents it from growing back) on his fingers and applied it to different parts of his head at the same time; The warning applies to each application.
Question: What is the size of a Korchah to be liable?Rav Huna: It is big enough to make the scalp visible.R. Yochanan: It is the area of a bean. Tana'im argue as Rav Huna and R. Yochanan do. Breisa: The size of a Korchah to be liable is big enough to make the scalp visible; Others say, it is the area of a bean.Rav Yehudah bar Chaviva: There is a third Tana, who says that one is liable for two hairs; Some say that the third Tana obligates for the area of a lentil.(Beraisa): One who shaves the length of a scissors blade on Shabbos is liable. Question: How long is this? Answer (Rav Yehudah): It is two hairs (i.e. twice the distance between adjacent hair follicles in an average person).Question from a Beraisa: The length to be liable for regarding Korchah is two hairs (implying that this is different from the length of a scissors blade)!Answer: It means that the length to be liable for regarding Korchah is also two hairs.Support from a Beraisa: One who shaves the length of a scissors blade on Shabbos is liable. This is two hairs; R. Eliezer says, he is liable for one hair. Chachamim admit that one is liable for removing a single white hair among black ones (because this is important to him); Men may not do so even on a weekday - "v'Lo Yilbash Gever Simlas Ishah" (do not adorn yourself like a woman. Rambam - he is lashed even for one hair; Ra'avad - it is forbidden only if he removes enough to make a recognizable difference; Ritva - our Tana holds that this is forbidden only mid'Rabanan due to "Simlas Ishah").Mishnah: If he rounds Pe'as ha'Rosh...Beraisa: Pe'as ha'Rosh is the end of the head. (From the jaws and below is not called Rosh, rather, the beard.)Question What does it mean to round the end of the head?Answer He cuts the sideburn even with the hairlines on the forehead and in back of the ears.A reciter of Beraisos: The one who cuts and the one being trimmed are both lashed. Rejection: Rav Chisda says Why is the one being trimmed lashed? He did not do anything! Your teaching is like R. Yehudah, who says that one is lashed for a Lav she'Ein Bo Ma'aseh (but the Halachah does not follow him)! Answer 1: Rava says It is even like Chachamim. It teaches that one who cuts his own Pe'os is lashed twice (for each).Answer 2: Rav Ashi says It is even like Chachamim. The case is, he moves his head to help the one cutting. This is an action.Mishnah: If he shaves Pe'as ha'Zakan...Beraisa: Pe'as ha'Zakan is the end of the beard, i.e. Shiboles ha'Zakan (Rivan - the five places where it sticks out. Most Meforshim holds that this refers only to the chin. The Rosh explains that R. Chananel holds that it is the Adam's apple, but the Beis Yosef and Gra refute this.)
Mishnah: If he made one scratch (due to five Mesim)...Beraisa Suggestion: Perhaps "v'Seret" applies even if he scratches because his house burned down or his ship sank!Rejection: "La'Nefesh" teaches that he is liable (some explain - transgresses) only due to a Mes.Question: What is the source that if he made five scratches due to a Mes, he is lashed five times?Answer: "V'Seret" obligates for each one.R. Yosi: What is the source that if he made one scratch due to five Mesim, he is lashed five times?Answer: "La'Nefesh" obligates for each Mes.Question: We used this to exempt one who scratches due to monetary loss!Answer: R. Yosi holds that Seritah and Gedidah are the same (both apply whether he used his hand or an instrument). It says "Lo Sisgodedu... la'Mes", so "la'Nefesh" is extra to obligate for each Mes.
QUESTION: In this Daf, " Pe'as ha'Rosh" is discussed. If they are cut short, the person can be punished. Do we still keep this halacha today? If so, does everyone keep it (Why or why not)? Why do we even have this halacha?
Question: What is the case of four or five Karachos? (If he did one after the other and he was warned before each one, obviously he is lashed for every one!)Suggested answer: Rather, he was warned only once. Rejection: If so, he is liable only once! Quotes (Mishnah): If a Nazir drank wine all day, he gets only 40 lashes. If he was warned repeatedly, he gets 40 lashes for each warning he transgressed.Answer: Rather, he put Nasa (a potion that makes hair fall out and prevents it from growing back) on his fingers and applied it to different parts of his head at the same time; The warning applies to each application.
Question: What is the size of a Korchah to be liable?Rav Huna: It is big enough to make the scalp visible.R. Yochanan: It is the area of a bean. Tana'im argue as Rav Huna and R. Yochanan do. Breisa: The size of a Korchah to be liable is big enough to make the scalp visible; Others say, it is the area of a bean.Rav Yehudah bar Chaviva: There is a third Tana, who says that one is liable for two hairs; Some say that the third Tana obligates for the area of a lentil.(Beraisa): One who shaves the length of a scissors blade on Shabbos is liable. Question: How long is this? Answer (Rav Yehudah): It is two hairs (i.e. twice the distance between adjacent hair follicles in an average person).Question from a Beraisa: The length to be liable for regarding Korchah is two hairs (implying that this is different from the length of a scissors blade)!Answer: It means that the length to be liable for regarding Korchah is also two hairs.Support from a Beraisa: One who shaves the length of a scissors blade on Shabbos is liable. This is two hairs; R. Eliezer says, he is liable for one hair. Chachamim admit that one is liable for removing a single white hair among black ones (because this is important to him); Men may not do so even on a weekday - "v'Lo Yilbash Gever Simlas Ishah" (do not adorn yourself like a woman. Rambam - he is lashed even for one hair; Ra'avad - it is forbidden only if he removes enough to make a recognizable difference; Ritva - our Tana holds that this is forbidden only mid'Rabanan due to "Simlas Ishah").Mishnah: If he rounds Pe'as ha'Rosh...Beraisa: Pe'as ha'Rosh is the end of the head. (From the jaws and below is not called Rosh, rather, the beard.)Question What does it mean to round the end of the head?Answer He cuts the sideburn even with the hairlines on the forehead and in back of the ears.A reciter of Beraisos: The one who cuts and the one being trimmed are both lashed. Rejection: Rav Chisda says Why is the one being trimmed lashed? He did not do anything! Your teaching is like R. Yehudah, who says that one is lashed for a Lav she'Ein Bo Ma'aseh (but the Halachah does not follow him)! Answer 1: Rava says It is even like Chachamim. It teaches that one who cuts his own Pe'os is lashed twice (for each).Answer 2: Rav Ashi says It is even like Chachamim. The case is, he moves his head to help the one cutting. This is an action.Mishnah: If he shaves Pe'as ha'Zakan...Beraisa: Pe'as ha'Zakan is the end of the beard, i.e. Shiboles ha'Zakan (Rivan - the five places where it sticks out. Most Meforshim holds that this refers only to the chin. The Rosh explains that R. Chananel holds that it is the Adam's apple, but the Beis Yosef and Gra refute this.)
Mishnah: If he made one scratch (due to five Mesim)...Beraisa Suggestion: Perhaps "v'Seret" applies even if he scratches because his house burned down or his ship sank!Rejection: "La'Nefesh" teaches that he is liable (some explain - transgresses) only due to a Mes.Question: What is the source that if he made five scratches due to a Mes, he is lashed five times?Answer: "V'Seret" obligates for each one.R. Yosi: What is the source that if he made one scratch due to five Mesim, he is lashed five times?Answer: "La'Nefesh" obligates for each Mes.Question: We used this to exempt one who scratches due to monetary loss!Answer: R. Yosi holds that Seritah and Gedidah are the same (both apply whether he used his hand or an instrument). It says "Lo Sisgodedu... la'Mes", so "la'Nefesh" is extra to obligate for each Mes.
QUESTION: In this Daf, " Pe'as ha'Rosh" is discussed. If they are cut short, the person can be punished. Do we still keep this halacha today? If so, does everyone keep it (Why or why not)? Why do we even have this halacha?
Men still keep this halacha today. The commandment in Vaykira 19:27 says: "Do not cut the hair on the corners ("payot/s") of your head; Do not cut the corners of your beard." This is one of the rare Lo Taasehs in the Torah that only applies to men. The Gemara and commentaries explain the first part of the pasuk to mean that hair can’t be completely removed from the sideburn area, at least from the cheekbone and up around the ear. The second half of this pasuk prohibits using a razor to remove hair from five points on the face. Chassidim are more machmir by not cutting the sideburn hairs at all. Non-Chassidic Jews fulfill this commandment in one of two ways- by allowing the sideburns to grow down to the cheekbone or by not shaving above the cheekbone.
ReplyDeleteThis prohibtion still applies today as Yehudit mentioned. Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch gives a reason as to why men have this halacha. He says that hair is a symbol of vanity and excessive pride in ones looks.By having this halacha against cutting ones peyos, it reminds a person that he shouldn't be overly focused on his looks, rather he should focus on his middot and knowledge. (source:aish.com)
ReplyDeleteChabad Chassidim explain this commandment and say that man is connecting the head and the heart, and bringing together two different aspects of connecting to HaShem. Therefore, one would be punished for not just the act of cutting the corners itself but because it is separating the heart ( the emotional connection to HaShem) from the head ( the intellectual connection to HaShem)
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned before, it is still a mitzvah today, but I don't think it necessarily means that men keep the halacha. There are reasons, like listed above, for this mitzvah, but I think that there are still men who don't realize the mitzvah or think it is as significant of a mitzvah. I think that although it is an important mitzvah, as all mitzvot are important, but I don't think that this is one that is discussed or held in such high regard.
ReplyDeleteSorry, this is really mine (mix up with names because of the yearbook email)
DeleteI think among the the Modern Orthodox community this is still kept today, however, like Margalit mentioned, unfortunately there are people who do not necessarily hold it in such a high regard, or know about the mitzvah. Sefer Hachinuch suggests that the reason men have this prohibition to remove the Peyot is because it gives us a unique physical attribute. A person is able to clearly be identified as a Jew because of it. The Ben Ish Chai calls a man's Peyot “two trustworthy witnesses that adorn us with the crown of Judaism”. The Sefer Hachinuch’s explanation of the prohibition for a man to remove his Peyot based off the halacha of Brit Milah.
ReplyDelete