What are the rules for Washing after Haircuts and or Shaving and or is there a requirement at all? Also after donating blood is there a requirment to Wash hands and or a blood test and is there a difference between them foe washing meaning are they both similar to Letting blood in Talmudical Times and hence require washing or not?
asked Jan 6, 2011 at 6:42
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2 Answers
Regarding blood-letting, while there are those who are accustomed to washing their hands after giving blood (either to be tested, or for donation), Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (cited by the Nishmat Avraham 1 (Orach Chaim) Siman 4 Seif Katan 5) believed that "blood-letting" referred to a specific medical procedure in which the bleeding was beneficial to the patient. Since giving blood, even for a blood test, is not for direct healing purposes, one is not required to wash one's hands.
However it is brought down in sefer Damayich Chayi (pages 55 and 56) in the name of Rav Elyashiv that for donating blood one should wash their hands, and on page 57 he is quoted saying that for a blood test it is not needed (All this is also quoted in Nishmas Avraham noted above).
http://vbm-torah.org/archive/tefila/67-01tefila.htm
Regarding haircuts see this link. http://www.dailyhalacha.com/Display.asp?PageIndex=88&ClipID=1599
In Shaalos U'Teshuvos Divrei Chachomim he brings in the name of HaRav Moshe Feinstein Zatzal that you do not have to wash your hands after shaving.
answered Jan 6, 2011 at 15:45
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1Rav Moshe Feinstein's t'shuva on donating blood allows it (under the circumstances he was asked about; CYLOR for practical ruling) (despite the general rule against injuring oneself) in part because (I paraphrase) "there's probably something to that whole bloodletting thing, so donating blood may be good for the donor too". How does that relate to the R'SZA view cited in the answer?– msh210 ♦Commented Jan 6, 2011 at 16:21
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@msh210 I am confused by your comment. What does Rabbi Moshe Feinstein allow? donating blood? and what does that have to do with what Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach says? Commented Jan 6, 2011 at 16:57
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Yes, donating blood is what he allows (in the case he was asked about). R'SZA is quoted in the answer as saying that since donating blood is not for healing purposes like bloodletting was, one need not wash; but R' Moshe said that bloodletting is (in the case he was asked about) allowed precisely (in part) because it does heal like bloodletting did. So one could argue that, since this is only allowed because it's bloodletting, R'SZA's argument doesn't apply (according to R' Moshe). In any event, that's all nice in theory (or not so nice?), but, as always, CYLOR for practical halacha.– msh210 ♦Commented Jan 6, 2011 at 20:31
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However that is not the only reason why it is allowed according to RMF. Commented Jan 6, 2011 at 21:29
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According to the above, since "Controlled bloodletting is an effective salvage therapy" for hypertensive emergency, such a patient must wash his hands – after the the emergency is over, of course. (Source: Wikipedia – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertensive_emergency#Treatment)– AdámCommented Jan 29, 2014 at 17:38
Regarding shaving or cutting facial hair, there was never an obligation to wash afterward.
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We don't see the language of gezeira here (in fact, you won't find this halacha in the Rambam). So the distinction has to be inherent in the effects of not washing. Do we find a reasoning by one and not the other?– YDKCommented Jan 7, 2011 at 19:02
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2Yes. The zei'ah and zohama that exists by hair on the head is worse. If you scratch your head you must wash. If you scratch your beard you do not need to wash.– YahuCommented Jan 9, 2011 at 1:48
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2Rambam distinguishes the zeia of the face as well as not dangerous.– YDKCommented Jan 9, 2011 at 22:24
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1@Yahu So it should only apply to the barber not the one receiving a haircut (barbee?).– Double AA ♦Commented Sep 17, 2014 at 18:04
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1@Yahu I actually generally keep my hands completely under a nice plastic sheet they put over me the whole time.– Double AA ♦Commented May 13, 2015 at 21:03