26
votes
Accepted
Is using hair removal cream on one's face a violation of "rounding one's beard?"
This is a can of such powder (cream) that Jews would use on the Lower East Side around 100 years ago. If you look closely you will see that it says Mutar based off the teshuva of the Noda B'Yehuda, YD ...
- 42.7k
15
votes
Is using hair removal cream on one's face a violation of "rounding one's beard?"
It is permitted to use depilatory cream (but not on Shabbat).
R Jack Abramowitz writes
The Torah only prohibits using a razor to cut the corners of the
beard. There are five such corners and ...
- 54k
15
votes
Where in the Tanakh is the subject of head-covering or hair-covering for females taught or hinted?
The Talmud in Ketubot 72a cites Numbers 5:18 as a Scriptural source/derivation:
ראשה פרוע דאורייתא היא דכתיב ופרע את ראש האשה ותנא דבי רבי ישמעאל אזהרה לבנות ישראל שלא יצאו בפרוע ראש
[Is not the ...
- 50.3k
9
votes
Whose head covering takes precedence: mine or my wife's?
The answer to this question can have various outcomes all depending on what you hold regarding kippa and what you hold regarding a woman's head covering. There are shittos which hold that wearing a ...
- 42.7k
8
votes
Did the Ramchal have a beard?
The Ramchal's beardless face is referenced in several letters among the Italian rabbinic communities of the 18th century, all of which are part of the general controversy that escalated after the ...
- 11.9k
7
votes
Accepted
Is one permitted to wear a sheitel made from the hair of a human corpse?
It is forbidden to derive benefit from a corpse, including its hair, even if the deceased commanded before dying that certain parts be given away for use. (Shulchan Aruch YD 349:2)
- 101k
6
votes
Is using hair removal cream on one's face a violation of "rounding one's beard?"
Pischei Tshuva in Yoreh Deah 181 #5 brings opinions that it is allowed, warning however, not to scrape the application off with a knife.
אבל במשיחה הנעשה כעין טיח טיט והחריפות שבו שורף השער מותר ...
- 34.1k
6
votes
Is there a prohibition against long hair for an Orthodox Jewish man?
R. Heshie Billet records the following story in Mentor of Generations: Reflections on Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik
At YU this Boston boy was one of the organizers of a big protest. Flyers went up all ...
- 50.3k
5
votes
Accepted
Cutting toddler's hair
Is this indeed so, is there a Jewish law forbidding cutting a toddler's hair, or is this a merely an Ashkenazi custom?
There is no such a law! Halacha allows one to cut baby's hair on Chol HaMoed, for ...
- 44.7k
4
votes
Minhag for married women to cover their hair in bed
The rebbetzin in my (Chabad) seminary said that people who are makpid on kabbalistic matters do this; others do not. One follows one's kallah teacher's instructions or else the husband's family's ...
- 20.2k
4
votes
Accepted
Halachic Hair Cut
Based on my experience, the general stance on Lev. 19:27 ("you shall not round the corners of your heads") in Conservative communities is that it's not observed, and left to the individual ...
- 19.2k
4
votes
Accepted
Why do the Chassidish community take bald haircuts if it's a biblical commandment to not have a bald head?
The Shulchan Aruch Y"D 180 states that the issur is only if its over the death of a loved one. However the Bais Yosef and the Bach have a disagreement if there is an issur (just no malkus) if it ...
- 13.4k
4
votes
Accepted
Wax stripping on Shabbat
Stripping hair is forbidden on Shabbat because of the melacha of gozez. Doing so with a tool explicitly meant to strip hair is a Biblical prohibition.
From chabad.org
Shearing, the av melachah of ...
- 54k
3
votes
Is using hair removal cream on one's face a violation of "rounding one's beard?"
This is already mentioned by the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch in 170:2 as being permitted with the caveat of not using something sharp as a scraper.
וְאוֹתָן שֶׁמְּסִירִין שְׂעַר הַזָּקָן עַל יְדֵי מִשְׁחָה ...
- 44.7k
3
votes
Did the Ramchal have a beard?
The first source saying that Ramchal “did not let his beard grow” was his early teacher and later critic Rabbi Yosef Ergas. See here for a translation of the quote:
https://books.google.com/books?id=...
- 463
3
votes
Rogaine or hair loss medications
It is clear from this answer of R. Elchanan Lewis, that there is no problem:
It is a standard treatment for men and is not a problem of Beged Isha.
From what I read on their website I can't ...
- 36k
3
votes
tuft of hair distinguish Rashi / Tam tefillen
You are referring to Shulchan Aruch OC 32:44
קְצָת שֵׂעָר זֶה צָרִיךְ שֶׁיֵּרָאֶה חוּץ לַבָּתִּים.
A little bit of this hair needs to be visible from the outside of the compartments.
The SA ...
- 20.2k
3
votes
Is there a prohibition against long hair for an Orthodox Jewish man?
As other people have mentioned in the comments:
Nazirites had to have long hair as part of their vow. It's hard to conceive that the Biblical Category of Nazirites, given directly from the Torah by ...
- 11.8k
3
votes
Double head covering for women?
R. Chaim Berlin has a responsum that addresses this:
Shu"t Nishmat Chaim
Benei Brak 2002 edition — siman 135 part 4
Jerusalem 2008 edition —
ועל דבר כסוי ראש האשה במטפחת אחת אם אין שערה נראין ...
- 50.3k
3
votes
What is the source for the "Upsheirin"?
There appears to really be three different, possibly interconnected, issues here.
Celebrating the first haircut.
Cutting hair by kivrei tzadikkim, especially Rashbi and Shmuel.
The age of the haircut....
- 31
3
votes
Can an unmarried woman halachically cover her hair?
This is what Yabia Omer says about women covering their hair. מעיקר הדין they don't need to until married, apart from praying or studying Torah when EVERYONE should wear a head covering. I'm not sure ...
- 345
3
votes
Accepted
Can a Nazir cut his hair with shears (gezaz)?
It is forbidden for a nazir to cut his hair completely no matter what tool he uses. The Rambam writes (MT Nazir 5:11-12)
When a nazirite cuts off one hair, whether using a razor or a scissor,
he is ...
- 54k
3
votes
May a man shave pubic hair on the grounds that it’s practical?
This shouldn't have anything to do with practicality (it is immensely practical for women to wear pants). In any case, because it is common for men to shave pubic hair this wouldn't be an issue (...
- 3,836
2
votes
What is the absolute minimum length for peyos?
I like the question, and note that it says "the minimum length of the hairs in the peyos area." (A different and important question would be what is included in "the peyos area".)
...
- 345
2
votes
What is the absolute minimum length for peyos?
All information got from: https://shulchanaruchharav.com/halacha/haircuts-peiyos/
Cutting the peiyos with a razor is forbidden (Tur in name of Rambam Avodas Kochavim 12:6; Ritva Shavuos 3a). Even ...
2
votes
Why do divorced or widowed women still need to cover their hair?
While this question already has an accepted answer, I feel there is some information missing from it, hence my post.
First of all, the question assumes that hair covering should only apply to a woman ...
- 20.2k
2
votes
Shaving on Chol Hamoed
The Tur in Orach Chaim 531 quotes Rabbeinu Tam who opines that one who shaved before the moed may shave on chol hamoed as well. The Tur strongly disagrees and seemingly all subsequent authorities were ...
- 34.1k
2
votes
Kosher Electric Shavers
In a recent book on the topic (The Halachic Haircutting Handbook: A Breakthrough Exposure of an Obscure Mitzvah by R Chaim and Binyamin Jachter), the authors conclude that almost all electric shavers ...
- 54k
2
votes
Are you allowed to get a haircut on Motzei Shabbos?
In a discussion about whether cutting hair on Friday when Rosh Chodesh Sivan is on Sunday is similar to when Lag Baomer is on Sunday, R. Shlomo Kluger makes the following point:
Chochmat Shlomo O.C. ...
- 50.3k
2
votes
Does a man with long-hair need to become a nazir
The Shulachan Aruch explains that on Rosh Hodesh we relive tefillin at the time of Musaf, which is the Tefila of Keter, we say keter Yintu Lecha. The tefilin are also Keter, so we have to remove ...
- 95
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