Avodah Zarah, Daf Kaf Tet, Part 2
Introduction
Today s sugya discusses the next section of the mishnah the prohibition of receiving a hair cut from non-Jews out of fear that they will kill us.
ואין מסתפרין מהן בכל מקום:
ת"ר ישראל המסתפר מעובד כוכבים רואה במראה ועובד כוכבים המסתפר מישראל כיון שהגיע לבלוריתו שומט את ידו
Nor may we let them cut our hair in any place.
Our Rabbis taught: When an Israelite is having his hair cut by a non-Jew he must look in the mirror. And a non-Jew having his hair cut from a Jew, when he reaches the forelock, he must leave it alone.
The Jew must keep his eye on the non-Jew cutting his hair, lest the non-Jew try to murder him. And a Jew may cut a non-Jew s hair, but not his special forelock for this is associated with idolatry. The Jew should not be seen as helping groom this special part of the hair.
אמר מר ישראל המסתפר מעובד כוכבים רואה במראה. היכי דמי אי ברשות הרבים ל"ל מראה ואי ברשות היחיד כי רואה מאי הוי?
לעולם ברה"י וכיון דאיכא מראה מתחזי כאדם חשוב
The Master said: When an Israelite is having his hair cut by a non-Jew he must look in the mirror? What is the specific case? If it is done in a public domain, why does he need a mirror? If in a private domain, even if he looks into it, how does this help?
[It refers] indeed to a private domain, but since he is using the mirror he will look like an important person.
The mirror shouldn t be necessary in the public domain everyone can see what is going on there. But in the private domain it is hard to see how a murderous barber would be stopped by a mirror. The answer tells us a bit about the history of mirrors. Only important people seem to have had them, and therefore, a Jew who has a mirror will look important enough for the non-Jew to be afraid to kill him.
רב חנא בר ביזנא הוה מסתפר מעובד כוכבים בשבילי דנהרדעא. א"ל חנא חנא יאי קועיך לזוגא
אמר תיתי לי דעברי אדר"מ
R. Hana b. Bizna was having his hair cut in the road leading to Nehardea by a non-Jew. He said to him: Hana, Hana, your throat is fine for the scissors. He answered: I deserve it for transgressing the words of R. Meir.
R. Hana realizes that he put his life in danger when he transgressed the words of R. Meir, who in the Mishnah had stated that a Jew should not have his hair cut by them in any place.
ואדרבנן לא עבר אימר דאמור רבנן ברה"ר ברה"י מי אמור והוא סבר שבילי דנהרדעא כיון דשכיחי רבים כרה"ר דמו:
And did he not also transgress the words of the rabbis, for the rabbis only permit it in a public place but not in a private place? He thought that the roads leading to Nehardea, where there are usually many people there, are to be regarded as a public place.
The rabbis allow a Jew to have his hair cut by a non-Jew in a public place. R. Hana thought that the road to Nehardea was not a public place.
ועובד כוכבים המסתפר מישראל כיון שהגיע לבלוריתו שומט את ידו:
וכמה אמר רב מלכיה אמר רב אדא בר אהבה שלשה אצבעות לכל רוח ורוח
And a non-Jew having his hair cut from a Jew, when he reaches the forelock, he must leave it alone. How much [of it is he to leave]? R. Malkiah said in the name of R. Adda b. Ahava: Three fingers length on every side.
In case you re giving a haircut to an idol worshiper, this is what you need to know!
אמר רב חנינא בריה דרב איקא שפוד שפחות וגומות רב מלכיו בלורית אפר מקלה וגבינה רב מלכיה אמר רב פפא מתני’ ומתניתא רב מלכיה שמעתתא רב מלכיו וסימנא מתניתא מלכתא מאי בינייהו איכא בינייהו שפחות:
R. Hanina the son of R. Ika: [The statements about] a spear, maid-servants, and small holes, are by R. Malkio; [but those about] the forelock, burnt ashes, and cheese are by R. Malkiah. R. Papa however said: If referring to a mishnah or baraita, it is R. Malkiah, but if in reference to an amoraic statement, it is R. Malkio. And your mnemonic is, The tannaitic statement is queen. What is the difference between the two? They differ in regard to the statement about maid-servants.
There are two sages with very similar names R. Malkio and R. Malkiah. How does a young yeshiva student avoid confusion? R. Hanina provides a list, and R. Papa a rule all statements made in reference to a mishnah (or baraita) are R. Malkiah, whose name sounds closer to queen. There is one real difference between them. R. Hanina says that R. Malkio made the statement about the maid-servants, whereas R. Papa says that it was R. Malkiah. Oy, this is really making me dizzy!