How Short to Trim Peyos?

I would like to take a short haircut with a #1 (1/8") electronic hair trimmer. My friend tells me that I may not trim the peyos area with a #1 trimmer. I thought it is okay to trim the peyos, but should not shave them close to the skin. Who is right? How short can I cut my peyos?

The peyos are considered removed if the hair is cut so close to the skin that they cannot be held between two fingers. This is prohibited even if the peyos are cut with scissors. One may not remove his own peyos, nor may he allow a barber to do so. Rav Belsky, zt”l ruled that the minimum setting that can be used on one’s peyos with an electronic hair trimmer would be a “two” (the equivalent of a quarter inch). He adds that, “To be on the safe side, it is best to use no less than a #3 attachment, which certainly leaves the hair long enough to grasp” (Shulchan HaLevi p.124). As such, one must instruct the barber to abide by these guidelines. However, the rest of one’s hair can be cut to any length. (In tomorrow’s Halachah Yomis we will begin to discuss which areas are considered peyos.)

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.