Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah Siman 390

Siman 390

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א אָבֵל אָסוּר לְגַלֵחַ שְׂעָרוֹ, אֶחָד שְׂעַר רֹאשׁוֹ וְאֶחָד שְׂעַר זְקָנוֹ וְאֶחָד כָּל שֵׂעָר שֶׁבּוֹ, וַאֲפִלוּ שֶׁל בֵּית הַסְתָרִים, כָּל ל' יוֹם. וּשְׂעַר שֶׁל הַשָּׂפָה וּמֵהַצְּדָדִים, כָּל שֶׁמְּעַכֵּב אֶת הָאֲכִילָה, תּוֹךְ ז' אָסוּר; אַחַר שִׁבְעָה, מֻתָּר.

1 A mourner is forbidden to cut his hair, both the hair of his head as well as the hair of his beard, or any hair that he has [on his body], even that of the secret parts, — for the entire thirty days. [As to] the hair of the upper lip and that which [droops] on the sides, — [the law is that] whatsoever causes a hindrance in partaking of food, is forbidden [to be trimmed] during the seven [days of mourning] and permitted after the seven [days of mourning].

ב יָשַׁב לְגַלֵחַ, וְאָמְרוּ לוֹ: מֵת אָבִיו, הֲרֵי זֶה מַשְׁלִים רֹאשׁוֹ, אֶחָד הַמְגַלֵחַ וְאֶחָד הַמִּתְגַלֵחַ; וּמַה שֶּׁהַסַפָּר גוֹמֵר, הַיְנוּ בִּדְלֵיכָּא סַפָּר אַחֵר בְּמָתָא.

2 [If a man] sat down to have his hair cut, and he was told that his father died, he may complete [cutting the hair of] his head, both if the hair-cutter as well as the one who was having his hair cut [suffered the bereavement]; and the fact that the hair-cutter may complete [the hair-cut, even after he was informed that he suffered a bereavement] applies [only in the case] where no other hair-cutter is available in the town.

ג כָּל אוֹתָם שֶׁאָמְרוּ מֻתָּר לְגַלֵחַ בְּחֹל הַמּוֹעֵד, אִם אֵרְעוֹ אֶחָד מֵאֵלוּ קֹדֶם הָאֲבֵלוּת, וְנִכְנַס מִיָּד תּוֹךְ הָאֵבֶל, אָסוּר לְגַלֵחַ. אֲבָל אִם אֵרְעוֹ אֶחָד מֵאֵלוּ, וּתְכָפוּהוּ מִיָּד שְׁנֵי אֲבֵלוּת זֶה אַחַר זֶה, מְגַלֵחַ כְּדַרְכּוֹ, בֵּין בְּתַעַר בֵּין בְּמִסְפָּרַיִם, וַאֲפִלוּ תּוֹךְ שִׁבְעָה. וְאָדָם אֶחָד שֶׁתְּכָפוּהוּ אֲבֵלָיו זֶה אַחַר זֶה, מֵקֵל שְׂעָרוֹ בְּתַעַר אֲבָל לֹא בְּמִסְפָּרַיִם. וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂנּוּ בְּצִנְעָא (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם הָרַמְבַּ"ן).

3 All those concerning whom they [the Sages] said that it is permissible [for them] to cut their hair during Hol ha-Moed,, — if any of these things happened to one prior to the [period of his] mourning, and [subsequently] he entered forthwith into the [period of his] mourning, — [the law is that] he is forbidden to cut his hair; but if one of these things happened to him [the mourner], and [following which], he suffered one bereavement immediately after another, — [the law is that] he cuts his hair in his usual manner, both with a razor or a scissors, even during the seven [days of mourning]. However, another person who suffered one bereavement after another, may make his hair lighter with a razor but not with a scissors, provided he does it in privacy.

ד עַל כָּל הַמֵּתִים מְגַלֵחַ לְאַחַר שְׁלֹשִׁים; עַל אָבִיו וְעַל אִמּוֹ, עַד שֶׁיִּגְעֲרוּ בּוֹ חֲבֵרָיו. הַגָּה: וְאֵין הָרֶגֶל מְהָנֵי אִם פָּגַע קֹדֶם שֶׁיִּגְעֲרוּ בּוֹ חֲבֵרָיו (טוּר). וְעַיֵּן בא"ח סִימָן תקמ"ח. וְשִׁעוּר גְּעָרָה יֵשׁ בּוֹ פְּלֻגְתָּא, וְנוֹהֲגִים בְּג' חֳדָשִׁים (כְּדַעַת מהרא"י בִּפְסָקָיו וַאֲגֻדָּה ומהרי"ל והר"ן). וּבִמְקוֹמוֹת אֵלּוּ נוֹהֲגִין שֶׁאֵין מִסְתַּפְּרִין עַל אָב וָאֵם כָּל י"ב חֹדֶשׁ (מהרי"ל מִנְהַג קְצָת מְקוֹמוֹת), אִם לֹא לְצֹרֶךְ, כְּגוֹן שֶׁהִכְבִּיד עָלָיו שְׂעָרוֹ, אוֹ שֶׁהוֹלֵךְ בֵּין הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמִתְנַוֵּל בֵּינֵיהֶם בְּשַׂעֲרוֹתָיו, דְּמֻתָּר לְסַפֵּר (כֵּן הֵשִׁיב הָאוֹר זָרוּעַ).

4 For all dead he cuts his hair after thirty days; for his father or mother [he lets his hair grow] until his friends rebuke him. Rema: An [ intervening ] Festival has no legal effect, [ viz., to suspend the aforementioned law ], if it [ the Festival ] occurs prior [ to the time ] that his friends rebuke him. As to the time limit [ after which ] a rebuke [ should take place ], there is a difference of opinion [ among the authorities ], and the common practice is [ to wait ] three months. And in these localities it is the adopted practice not to cut one's hair [ when in mourning ] for a father or mother, during the entire twelve months [ of mourning ], unless the need [ is great ], e.g., if his hair is too heavy upon him or he goes among gentiles and appears repulsive to them with his hair, in which case he is permitted to cut his hair.

ה אִשָּׁה מֻתֶּרֶת בִּנְטִילַת שֵׂעָר אַחַר ז'. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹסְרִים אַף לְאִשָּׁה, וְכֵן עִקָּר.

5 A woman is permitted to remove hair after the seven [days of mourning]. Rema: And some declare this forbidden even for a woman; and thus is the [ accepted ] fundamental principle.

ו לִסְרֹק רֹאשׁוֹ בְּמַסְרֵק, מֻתָּר, אֲפִלוּ תּוֹךְ שִׁבְעָה.

6 One is permitted to comb [the hair] of his head with a comb, even during the seven [days of mourning].

ז כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָסוּר לְגַלֵחַ כָּל שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם, כָּךְ אָסוּר לִטֹּל צִפֹּרְנַיִם בִּכְלִי; אֲבָל בְּיָדָיו אוֹ בְּשִׁנָּיו, מֻתָּר, אֲפִלוּ תּוֹךְ שִׁבְעָה. וְאִשָּׁה שֶׁאֵרַע טְבִילָתָהּ אַחַר שִׁבְעָה, תּוֹךְ שְׁלֹשִׁים, אִם תִּטֹּל צִפָּרְנֶיהָ בְּיָדֶיהָ אוֹ בְּשִׁנֶּיהָ אֵינָהּ נוֹטֶלֶת יָפֶה, אֶלָא תֹּאמַר לְעוֹבֶדֶת כּוֹכָבִים לִטְּלָם בְּתַעַר אוֹ בְּמִסְפָּרַיִם. הַגָּה: וְלָאו דַּוְקָא עוֹבֶדֶת כּוֹכָבִים, אֶלָּא הוּא הַדִּין יִשְׂרְאֵלִית, וְסִרְכָא דְּלִשְׁנָא דְּחֹל הַמּוֹעֵד נָקַט (דַּעַת עַצְמוֹ).

7 Just as it is forbidden to cut hair during the entire thirty days [of mourning], so also is it forbidden to cut one's nails with a nail-cutter, but [if done] with one's hands or teeth, it is permissible, even during the seven days [of mourning]. A woman whose immersion [in the ritual bath] occurs after the seven, [but] during the thirty [days of mourning], if she should remove her nails with her hands or teeth, she would not remove them well, but she should [rather] instruct a Gentile woman to remove them for her with a razor or scissors. Rema: And not necessarily a Gentile woman, but this may likewise be done by a Jewish woman, but he used the customary phraseology mentioned with respect to Hol ha-Moed.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter