Removing white hairs by hand

It is forbidden min haTorah to cut even one strand of hair or a fingernail using a scissors or clipper on Shabbos . Pulling out a hair and peeling off a nail by hand are generally only forbidden mid’rabonon . If, however, a person is removing a white hair from a mass of dark hair (or the reverse), he may transgress a melacha mid’oraisa even by hand, since that would be the normal way to remove such a hair. Some Achronim suggest that it may only be forbidden min haTorah if one removes all of the white hairs. If some white hair remains, it would only be forbidden mid’rabonon. The poskim discuss whether removing hair using cream would be forbidden mid’oraisa or mid’rabonon .



[ שו"ע שמ, א, משנ"ב א-ד, וביה"ל ד"ה על, ד"ה ומלקט, וד"ה אפילו; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 1 ]

Cutting nails

According to most Rishonim, a melacha sh’eina tzricha legufa­ (a melacha done for reasons other than its original purpose in the mishkan ) is only forbidden mid’rabonon . The purpose of the melacha of gozeiz (shearing) was in order to prepare wool for the bigdei kehunah and for the covers of the mishkan . The Rishonim disagree about whether cutting nails or hair to enhance one’s appearance (and not for the sake of the nails or hair) is considered tzricha legufa . According to the Mishnah Berurah’s understanding, the Shulchon Aruch rules that it is not tzricha legufa. Therefore, cutting nails as a preparation for immersing in a mikveh would only be forbidden mid’rabonon .



[ ביה"ל שמ, א, ד"ה וחייב ]

Dyeing white hairs

It is forbidden min haTorah for a person to wear clothing that is worn by the opposite gender. Likewise, a man may not preen himself in womanly ways in order to enhance his appearance. Thus, it is forbidden for a man to remove or dye white hairs in order to look younger. The poskim disagree about whether it is permissible to remove or dye white hair if it appears to be a defect (e.g. white hairs on a teenager). It is permissible to comb white hairs as long as it is not a psik reisha that they will be torn out.



[ שו"ע שמ, א, משנ"ב ד-ה, וביה"ל ד"ה ומלקט; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 5 ו־14 ]



PLEASE NOTE: The information in this email is for learning purposes only. Please review the Mishna Berura and Biurim U'Musafim before making a halachic decision. Hebrew words are occasionally transliterated to enable a smoother reading of the text. Common Ashkenazi pronunciation is generally used in these cases.

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