Haircuts

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Haircut:[1]

It is a Mitzvah upon a person to get a haircut on Erev Shavuos in honor of Yom Tov, in order so one does not enter into the holiday looking unrepresentable.

 

Q&A

May one get a haircut during Shloshes Yimei Hagbala?

It is our custom to avoid getting haircuts until Erev Shavuos.[2]

On Erev Shavuos: It is permitted, and is a Mitzvah, to get a haircut on Erev Shavuos. One may do so even past midday.

Erev Shavuos that falls on Shabbos:[3] When Erev Shavuos coincides with Shabbos one may take a haircut on Erev Shabbos, which is the 48th day of the Omer.[4] [One may begin to take a haircut after sunrise of Erev Shabbos, although not the night before.[5]]

 

When may one get a haircut on Erev Shavuos?[6]

It is permitted to get a haircut throughout the entire Erev Shavuos, even past the time of Mincha. This applies even to a professional haircut that is being done by a Jew in exchange for payment.

Midday: Some Poskim[7] rule that [despite the above ruling] one is to beware to take a haircut prior to midday. Others[8] however rule that doing so is not required, and so is implied to be the opinion of Admur.[9] Furthermore some[10] rule one is to try to have a haircut specifically past midday so it be recognizable he is doing so in honor of Yom Tov. Even according to the above stringent opinion, if one did not take a haircut prior to midday he may do so afterwards[11], although there are some that are stringent in such a case not to take a haircut.[12]

 

[1] Admur 529/2 regarding every Erev Yom Tov

[2] Hayom Yom p. 53; Sefer Haminhagim p. 86 [English] “The Rebbe Rashab was uneasy with those which took haircuts during the Shloshes Yimei Hagbala”

[3] Minchas Elazar 3/65; Kaf Hachaim 493/13; Shevach Hamoadim p. 235 footnote 10 in name of Rav Shmuel Levitin that so was the custom in Lubavitch; Otzer Minhagei Chabad p. 290

[4] Although in general, based on the custom of the Arizal, we avoid haircuts until Erev Shavuos, this only applies when Erev Shavuos falls on a weekday, as one cannot enter into the festival with improper attire. Furthermore, it is recorded in Shaar Hakavanos that Rav Chaim Vital was always accustomed to get a haircut on the 48th day of Omer. Some learn this itself was due to Kabalistic reasons. Furthermore, even according to the Rashash which leaned to be stringent not to take a haircut on Erev Shabbos in such a coincidence, nevertheless he too forced himself to do so. Hence there is no room to be stringent on the above, and on the contrary one should do so. [See Minchas Elazar ibid]

[5] See next Q&A!

[6] Admur 251/4 regarding Erev Shabbos and Erev Yom Tov [see 251/1 that includes Erev Yom Tov in these laws]; Mateh Efraim 625/11 “One may take a haircut throughout the entire day”; See “The Laws and Customs of Erev Shabbos” Chapter 2 for the full details of this subject!

[7] Custom of the Arizal brought in M”A 251/5; Gr”a brought in Aruch Hashulchan 251/3; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 128/15; Mateh Efraim 581/50; Mateh Efraim 625/11 “It is a Mitzvah Min Hamuvchar…”; Alef Lamagen 581/108 “Is a Mitzvah Min Hamuvchar”; Kaf Hachaim 260/13; 581/80 [proper to be stringent]

[8] Aruch Hashulchan 251/3; Alef Lamagen 581/108 rules that the above ruling to take a haircut prior to midday is a Mitzvah Min Hamuvchar and if one did not do so beforehand then he may do so until Mincha Ketana. [Vetzaruch Iyun Gadol on the wording “Mincha Ketana” as everyone agrees a haircut may be taken the entire day.

[9] 251/4

Background:

The Magen Avraham 251/5 records that the Arizal would not get a haircut past the time of Mincha Gedola [midday], based on Kabalistic reasons. Admur omitted this custom of the Arizal in 251. See Shaareiy Halacha Uminhag 1/130 that the Rebbe concludes regarding the time of cutting nails, which is similar to the time of the cutting of the hair, that he did not receive a directive in how to follow. The Aruch Hashulchan ibid states that the Gra is stringent against allowing haircuts past midday, although this is not the worldly custom.

[10] Based on Aruch Hashulchan 260/6; See also 251/3

[11] Mateh Efraim 625/11 “It is a Mitzvah Min Hamuvchar…”; Alef Lamagen 581/108

[12] Mateh Efraim ibid based on the Arizal who would refrain from cutting his hair after midday.

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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