Rosh Chodesh - Hair and Nail Trim

Q. May one get a haircut or cut their nails on Rosh Chodesh?

A. The Magen Avrohom (OC 260) writes that it was customary in some locations to refrain from taking a haircut on Rosh Chodesh, even if it falls on Friday (when there is a mitzva to do so in honor of Shabbos). This is based on the recommendation of Rebbi Yehuda Hachasid (1150-1217) in his tzava’ah (ethical will).

Rav Yehudah Hachasid was a renowned Baal Tosofos (medieval Talmudic scholar) and Kabbalist. Rav Yehudah Hachasid prohibits many activities in his tzava’ah that have no Talmudic source, presumably for kabalistic reasons. There is much debate whether Rav Yehudah’s tzava’ah was written for everyone or only his descendants. For this reason, the Magen Avrohom writes that only some people follow Rav Yehuda’s restriction on taking haircuts on Rosh Chodesh. This includes both haircuts and trimming or shaving a beard.

Shulchan Aruch Harav (260:1) notes that cutting hair on Rosh Chodesh is viewed in kabbalah as a sakana (danger). The Mishnah Berurah (260:7) writes that Rav Yehudah Hachasid's admonition about haircuts applies to cutting nails. Instead, according to this custom, one should cut their nails on Thursday (if it is not also Rosh Chodesh). Although ordinarily, we avoid cutting nails on Thursday, poskim write that if one cannot do so on Friday, because of Rosh Chodesh, it is permitted to do so on Thursday (see Shaarei Teshuva 251:4). Others, however, are lenient regarding cutting nails if Rosh Chodesh falls on erev Shabbos, since this is something that is typically done every week in honor of Shabbos. They write that it is possible that the Magen Avrohom intentionally omitted cutting nails, since the mitzvah will protect from the sakana, but this does not apply to haircuts, because one does not take a haircut every week (see Sefer Tehilla L'Dovid 260:1).

____________________________________________________

The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.