Siman - Taanis Daf 17
- The frequency of haircuts for the melech, Kohen Gadol and an ordinary Kohen
It was taught in a Baraisa: מלך מסתפר בכל יום – A king gets a haircut daily, כהן גדול מערב שבת לערב שבת – A Kohen Gadol gets his haircut weekly, from one erev Shabbos to the next, כהן הדיוט אחת לשלשים יום – An ordinary Kohen gets his haircut once in thirty days. The Gemara asks what the reason is that a king must have his haircut daily, and Rebbe Abba bar Zavda said that it is stated in the passuk: "מלך ביפיו תחזינה עיניך" – Your eyes should see the king in his beauty. Rav Shmuel bar Yitzchak explained that the reason that the Kohen Gadol must have his haircut weekly, הואיל ומשמרות מתחדשות – since the mishmaros change weekly. Rashi explains that when the new mishmar comes to see the Kohen Gadol, when they begin their watch erev Shabbos, he should appear well groomed. It is learned that an ordinary Kohen gets his haircut once in thirty days from a gezeirah shaveh of פרע פרע to a nazir. Just as a nazir’s hair growth is for thirty days, so too a Kohen should not let his hair grow more than thirty days.
- Why the prohibition for an ordinary Kohen to grow his hair long does not apply today
The Gemara asks that if the prohibition of a Kohen growing his hair long beyond thirty days is derived from a nazir, then just as the nazir’s prohibition applies today, so too the prohibition for the Kohen should apply today? The Gemara answers that the passuk in Yechezkel that mentioned cutting hair, is juxtaposed to the prohibition of a Kohen drinking wine before doing his service. מה שתויי יין בזמן ביאה הוא דאסור שלא בזמן ביאה שרי אף הכא נמי – Just as the prohibition of a Kohahim who have drunk wine, applies only when it comes to entering the Temple, but it does not apply other times, so too the prohibition of a Kohen growing his hair long, only applies when it comes to entering the Temple. Since the Temple does not currently exist, a Kohen may grow his hair longer. When the Gemara points out that according to the Rabbanon, a Kohen is still prohibited to drink wine nowadays, it explains that their reason is that when the Temple is rebuilt we will need Kohanim who are ready to perform the avodah, and this would exclude a Kohen that had drunk wine. In the case of long hair, the Kohen could easily get his haircut quickly and begin the avodah.
- The difference between the prohibition for a Kohen to drink wine versus growing his hair long
After concluding that a Kohen can grow his hair long nowadays since he can quickly get a haircut when the Temple is rebuilt, the Gemara asks that a Kohen should be able to drink wine nowadays, since the Kohen could sleep a little and then do the avodah. For Rami bar Abba said: דרך מיל ושינה כל שהוא מפיגין את היין – A journey of one mil and a little sleep takes away the effect of the wine. The Gemara gives two answers. Rav Nachman said in the name of Rabbah bar Avuha, that a short journey and a little sleep takes away the effects of wine if one drank no more than a reviis. But if one drank more than a reviis, כל שכן שדרך מטרידתו ושינה משכרתו – then all the more so, the journey bothers him, and sleep makes him more drunk. Rav Ashi answered, שתויי יין דמחלי עבודה גזרו בהו רבנן – Since drinking wine invalidates the avodah, the Rabbanon were gozeir the prohibition for a Kohen to drink nowadays. פרועי ראש דלא מחלי עבודה לא גזרו בהו רבנן – Since Kohanim with long hair do not invalidate the avodah, the Rabbanon were not gozeir a prohibition of their growing their hair long nowadays.
