Kiddushin, Daf Lammed Heh, Part 6

 

Introduction

Deuteronomy 14:1-2 contains a prohibition of gashing oneself or of making a bald spot on one s head. In our sugya, a sage says that women are liable for this mitzvah too.

 

איסי תני אף בל יקרחו נשים פטורות

מ"ט דאיסי דדריש הכי (דברים יד, א) בנים אתם לה’ אלהיכם לא תתגודדו ולא תשימו קרחה בין עיניכם למת כי עם קדוש אתה לה’ אלהיך בנים ולא בנות לקרחה

 

Issi taught: Women are also exempt from the prohibition against making a bald spot.

What is Issi’s reason? For he interprets thus: You are sons of the Lord your God: you shall not cut yourselves, nor make a bald spot between your eyes for the dead. For you are a holy people to the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 14:1-2): Sons and not daughters for the matter of baldness.

 

Issi interprets the word sons as excluding women from the prohibition of making a bald spot on their heads.

 

אתה אומר לקרחה או אינו אלא לגדידה כשהוא אומר כי עם קדוש אתה לה’ אלהיך הרי גדידה אמור הא מה אני מקיים בנים ולא בנות לקרחה

 

You say, in respect of baldness; yet perhaps it is not so, but rather in respect of cutting? When it says: For you are a holy people unto the Lord your God, it refers to cutting. Then how can I interpret sons and not daughters? In respect to baldness.

 

According to Issi, the prohibition against cutting refers to all of the holy people, men and women. The prohibition against making a bald spot refers only to men.

 

ומה ראית לרבות את הגדידה ולהוציא את הקרחה מרבה אני את הגדידה שישנה במקום השער ושלא במקום שער ומוציא אני את הקרחה שאינה אלא במקום שער

 

And what did you see to include cutting and exclude baldness? I include cutting which is possible both where there is hair and where there is no hair, and I exclude baldness which is possible only in the place of hair.

 

Why does the baraita include women in the prohibition of cutting but not baldness? The prohibition against cutting is broader it applies both to places that have hair and that don t. Therefore, it applies to both men and women.

 

ואימא בנים ולא בנות בין לקרחה בין לגדידה וכי כתב כי עם קדוש אתה לה’ אלהיך בשריטה הוא דכתיב קסבר איסי שריטה וגדידה אחת היא

But say sons not daughters applies to both baldness and cutting, while For you are a holy people to the Lord your God relates to gashing (Leviticus 21:5)! Issi holds that gashing [seritah] and cutting [gedidah] are identical.

 

Why not say that women are also exempt from cutting. We could then interpret for you are a holy people to refer to the gashing mentioned in Leviticus 21:5 (because it would be analogized to the prohibitions in Deuteronomy).

Issi holds that gashing and cutting are the same prohibition. Therefore the you are a holy people phrase must refer to cutting, for otherwise it would have no referent.