Two Mitzvos are recorded adjacently in the same Pasuk in Parshas Kedoshim: “You shall not round off the edge of your head and you shall not destroy the edge of your beard.” This article will focus on the first prohibition which is the Issur of removing the hair of the Peyos at the side of one’s head.
Some of the commentaries explain that this Mitzvah, like many others, is to distance us from the practises of idolaters. Idolaters and their priests would shave their Peyos. Even though the idolatrous hairstyle would leave the hair on the top and back of the head, the prohibition of removing the Peyos also apply if one shaved their entire head.
The Tur writes that this reason is not stated in the Torah and we do not need to go and seek reasons for the Mitzvos. We observe them as the decrees of the King even if we do not know their reason.
From the phrasing of the prohibition in plural terms, we learn that the prohibition is violated by both the one who cuts the Peyos and the one whose Peyos are being cut. The one whose Peyos are being cut only violates a Biblical prohibition if they incline their head to make the Peyos accessible to the one cutting them. If the one whose Peyos are being cut does nothing to assist, it is still Rabbinically forbidden.
The prohibition on the one whose Peyos are cut, applies even if the one cutting is not Jewish. A Jewish hairdresser may cut the Peyos of a non-Jew.
Further, there is a separate Biblical violation for each of the two Peyos and one who removes both of them violates two prohibitions.
The Rambam learns that just as the Biblical prohibition on shaving the beard only applies to a razor blade which completely destroys the hair - as opposed to cutting with scissors, so too the prohibition on cutting Peyos does not apply to cutting them with scissors, even if cut close to the skin (מספריים כעין תער).
However, most Poskim distinguish between the Peyos and the beard. Only the prohibition on cutting the beard uses the term “destroy”. The prohibition on Peyos applies to any manner of rounding the edges of the head, including scissors. This is the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch.
The Chachamim do not specify a Shiur for the Peyos.
The Rambam writes that the tradition received from his elders, is that if one leaves 40 hairs in the area of the temple, they do not violate the prohibition. Others have a version of the Rambam as writing 4 hairs.
However, the Beis Yosef records the opinions of the Semag and others, that one violates the prohibition by even removing just 2 hairs, (the same shiur for Gozez on Shabbos or for a Nazir). The Semag supports this with a Tosefta. This is brought as the Halacha in Shulchan Aruch.
Where are the Peyos?
The Gemara explains that the Peyos of the head are at the end of the head. The Gemara clarifies that the prohibition is to even out the hair of the back of their ears to the hairline at the forehead. i.e removing the area of the temples by the ear.
Rashi explains that the area of the Peyos is where the skull meets the jaw i.e. the temples. The whole width of this area is forbidden. This area is measured by drawing an imaginary line from the upper corner of the forehead down to the top of the ear. The area beneath this line are the Peyos (See diagram A). The measure of the forehead is based on each person.
It extends down to the place where “the hair of the beard begins”. Some define this as being beneath the ear, which is where the lower jawbone protrudes. Others understand that the Peyos extend only down to the top of the cheek bone. Some have the custom of leaving extra hair above the area of the Peyos as a precaution to ensure that they do not cut the area of the Peyos themselves (See diagram B). Some also leave an area of hair behind the ear as a precaution.
How long does the hair have to be?
The hair must be long enough to be grasped between one’s fingers. This measure is also the length required to be able to fold back the top of the hair to the base of the hair.
In practical measurements, the Poskim say that this is a minimum of 5mm. This would allow for using a size 2 clippers – being approximately 6mm. A size 1 or less may not be used.
The Rebbe references that the Ariza”l is recorded to have trimmed his Peyos. The reason for this was so that the hair of the Peyos not mix with the hair of the beard. Kabbalistically this would be mixing different Tikkunim. The Rebbe writes that the question is not why Chabad Chassidim cut their Peyos short, but why others grow their Peyos long, in contradiction of the recorded practise of the Ariza”l.
The basis for those who grow their Peyos long is to distance oneself from those who destroy their Peyos. It is also an expression of beautifying the Mitzvah and showing that the Mitzvos are precious to us by ensuring that the Peyos stand out. This applies even to those who trim their Peyos, who still grow them longer than the minimum measure of being able to grab the hairs between one’s fingers.
The Peyos are the sign of being a Jew. There are those who say that the two Peyos are like to witnesses that testify to our Jewishness. They are like a crown of royalty adorning our head. Based on this, having noticeably longer Peyos is a matter of Geon Yaakov (Jewish pride) and Veniflinu, distinguishing ourselves from the gentiles.
Based on the above, many secular hairstyles will be categorically forbidden. This includes shaving the entire head with less than a number 2 clipper. It also includes many mullet hairstyles where the hair of the Peyos are shaved or cut very short. It would also include any “temple fade” or shaved “undercut” haircuts.
Even if the Peyos of these hairstyles are left intact, there is still a problematic issue of emulating the ways and styles of the non-Jews.
Unfortunately, it is more common to see many observant youth who are cutting their hair with these styles and unknowingly violating the Mitzvah of Peyos. For children under Barmitzvah, it is the parents Halachic responsibility to ensure that their children’s haircuts comply with Halacha.
In all types of haircuts, one should take extreme care when trimming the hair around the ear with scissors, to not cut them too short.
Those who rely on the Poskim who permit shaving with an electric razor, may not shave the area of the Peyos which includes the hair that grows from the side of the ear i.e. the sideburns.
