Author Topic: Cutting a Jewish boy's hair for the first time (need help)  (Read 1236 times)

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Offline Dr. Dan

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Cutting a Jewish boy's hair for the first time (need help)
« on: July 14, 2015, 08:19:01 PM »
I understand that it is a tradition for some Jews to cut their son's hair by the age of 3 for the first time. However, if his third birthday falls on the Omer, does one wait until lagbaomer?  Or can his hair be cut the year before when he is 2 and half?

Thanks
If someone says something bad about you, say something nice about them. That way, both of you would be lying.

In your heart you know WE are right and in your guts you know THEY are nuts!

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Offline Rashi

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Re: Cutting a Jewish boy's hair for the first time (need help)
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2015, 09:58:47 PM »
Upsherin is really a minhag....It is actually a pagan custom that  crept into Judaism..I find nothing wrong with it personally...If you are into Lurianic Kabbalah..I would do it on  lagbaomer..since it is a festive event..but I remind you that even  lagbaomer has no basis in Tanach, Mishnah or Gemara

Offline Rashi

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Offline Dr. Dan

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Re: Cutting a Jewish boy's hair for the first time (need help)
« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2015, 11:08:00 AM »
It doesn't answer my question.

We are waiting until the age of 3 to cut his hair.  If one follows that minhag, does he wait until Lag BaOmer when he is over 3 years old or can it be done sooner?
If someone says something bad about you, say something nice about them. That way, both of you would be lying.

In your heart you know WE are right and in your guts you know THEY are nuts!

"Science without religion is lame; Religion without science is blind."  - Albert Einstein

Offline Tag-MehirTzedek

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Re: Cutting a Jewish boy's hair for the first time (need help)
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2015, 01:11:03 PM »
It doesn't answer my question.

We are waiting until the age of 3 to cut his hair.  If one follows that minhag, does he wait until Lag BaOmer when he is over 3 years old or can it be done sooner?

 As I understand it people do usually wait until Lag BaOmer in this case. (if your going by that minhag + if you follow that one cannot take a haircut during the Omer (at least until Lag or Lad BaOmer).
 + Perhaps even according to that it also depends when your son was born during the Omer? The beginning during Nissan or later on (in Iyar) ??

 
.   ד  עֹזְבֵי תוֹרָה, יְהַלְלוּ רָשָׁע;    וְשֹׁמְרֵי תוֹרָה, יִתְגָּרוּ בָם
4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked; but such as keep the law contend with them.

ה  אַנְשֵׁי-רָע, לֹא-יָבִינוּ מִשְׁפָּט;    וּמְבַקְשֵׁי יְהוָה, יָבִינוּ כֹל.   
5 Evil men understand not justice; but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

Offline Tag-MehirTzedek

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Re: Cutting a Jewish boy's hair for the first time (need help)
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2015, 01:21:40 PM »
 Just looked at Pnini Halacha (have an App its free as well with different books both in English and Hebrew) it says that their are those who have a custom and according to that you would wait until Lag BaOmer since its a few weeks before it.
.   ד  עֹזְבֵי תוֹרָה, יְהַלְלוּ רָשָׁע;    וְשֹׁמְרֵי תוֹרָה, יִתְגָּרוּ בָם
4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked; but such as keep the law contend with them.

ה  אַנְשֵׁי-רָע, לֹא-יָבִינוּ מִשְׁפָּט;    וּמְבַקְשֵׁי יְהוָה, יָבִינוּ כֹל.   
5 Evil men understand not justice; but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

Offline Dr. Dan

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Re: Cutting a Jewish boy's hair for the first time (need help)
« Reply #6 on: July 16, 2015, 03:05:36 AM »
He was born during pesach and next year his birthday falls within the Omer. Which brings up another question:  is it the third birthday according to the Jewish or solar calendar?

It's probably a moot point anyway
If someone says something bad about you, say something nice about them. That way, both of you would be lying.

In your heart you know WE are right and in your guts you know THEY are nuts!

"Science without religion is lame; Religion without science is blind."  - Albert Einstein

Offline Tag-MehirTzedek

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Re: Cutting a Jewish boy's hair for the first time (need help)
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2015, 09:48:23 AM »
He was born during pesach and next year his birthday falls within the Omer. Which brings up another question:  is it the third birthday according to the Jewish or solar calendar?

It's probably a moot point anyway

 Jewish birthday. Born during Pessah so his birthday is during Pessah. You can either search by date converter or even if you know which day of Pessah he was born on. For example if on the 4th than his birthday is always on the 4thday of Pessah.

.   ד  עֹזְבֵי תוֹרָה, יְהַלְלוּ רָשָׁע;    וְשֹׁמְרֵי תוֹרָה, יִתְגָּרוּ בָם
4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked; but such as keep the law contend with them.

ה  אַנְשֵׁי-רָע, לֹא-יָבִינוּ מִשְׁפָּט;    וּמְבַקְשֵׁי יְהוָה, יָבִינוּ כֹל.   
5 Evil men understand not justice; but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

Offline Dr. Dan

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Re: Cutting a Jewish boy's hair for the first time (need help)
« Reply #8 on: July 16, 2015, 09:50:35 AM »
Jewish birthday. Born during Pessah so his birthday is during Pessah. You can either search by date converter or even if you know which day of Pessah he was born on. For example if on the 4th than his birthday is always on the 4thday of Pessah.

I think the brit milah was on the third or fourth day.. so technically speaking, if I go via the hebrew calender, it should be acceptable to cut his hair even if his solar year hasn't reached 3 years necessarily. Hmmm.  Any problem with that?
If someone says something bad about you, say something nice about them. That way, both of you would be lying.

In your heart you know WE are right and in your guts you know THEY are nuts!

"Science without religion is lame; Religion without science is blind."  - Albert Einstein

Offline Tag-MehirTzedek

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Re: Cutting a Jewish boy's hair for the first time (need help)
« Reply #9 on: July 16, 2015, 09:53:18 AM »
I think you can either cut his hair right AFTER Pessah as you shouldn't get haircuts during Hold Hamoed (although maybe it doesn't apply to children). In general getting haircuts during Hold Hamoed is assured as one should.go into the holiday already with a haircut etc.

Or you can wait until lagBaomer. Again if you want to go by thay custome you should probably wait. Its just a few extra days (maybe like 15 or 20) out of 3 years its not much
.   ד  עֹזְבֵי תוֹרָה, יְהַלְלוּ רָשָׁע;    וְשֹׁמְרֵי תוֹרָה, יִתְגָּרוּ בָם
4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked; but such as keep the law contend with them.

ה  אַנְשֵׁי-רָע, לֹא-יָבִינוּ מִשְׁפָּט;    וּמְבַקְשֵׁי יְהוָה, יָבִינוּ כֹל.   
5 Evil men understand not justice; but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

Offline Tag-MehirTzedek

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Re: Cutting a Jewish boy's hair for the first time (need help)
« Reply #10 on: July 16, 2015, 09:55:46 AM »
I think the brit milah was on the third or fourth day.. so technically speaking, if I go via the hebrew calender, it should be acceptable to cut his hair even if his solar year hasn't reached 3 years necessarily. Hmmm.  Any problem with that?


 Go only by Hebrew date. If so he was born BEFORE Pessah. Find the date their are websites that convert the date for you. I'm on phone now . if you dpbt find it maybe I'll give you link later. You would probably give haircut some time before Pessah.
.   ד  עֹזְבֵי תוֹרָה, יְהַלְלוּ רָשָׁע;    וְשֹׁמְרֵי תוֹרָה, יִתְגָּרוּ בָם
4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked; but such as keep the law contend with them.

ה  אַנְשֵׁי-רָע, לֹא-יָבִינוּ מִשְׁפָּט;    וּמְבַקְשֵׁי יְהוָה, יָבִינוּ כֹל.   
5 Evil men understand not justice; but they that seek the LORD understand all things.