cutting children's nails on chol hamoed...

merelyme

Mon, Sep 27 2010, 1:57 pm

Quotes below copied and pasted in full from this site http://www.shemayisrael.com/pa.....nref1

A Project of The Shema Yisrael Torah Network
Written by Rabbi Dovid Ostroff, shlita

These Halachos were shown by Rabbi Ostroff to
HaGaon HaRav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita

May one shave body hair on Chol Hamoed?

A woman may shave body hair on Chol Hamoed, the same as she may apply makeup, powder etc., as it is all inclusive in tzorchei haguf – physical necessities. [1] A woman may not have a haircut on Chol Hamoed. [2] for the same reason that prohibits a man from doing so.

May one cut the hair of a male child who reaches the age of three on Chol Hamoed?

Some have the custom to undertake a child’s first haircut on Chol Hamoed, [3] but seeing that it is an interesting question, let us view the reasoning.

In normal circumstances one may not shave on Chol Hamoed because it should have been done before the Chag. According to halacha, one who is released from prison on Chol Hamoed may shave. [4] The reason is twofold: firstly, in prison he was unable to shave; secondly, even if his jailers permitted him to shave, he was not in a joyous mood to do so. Hence upon release a prisoner may shave. [5]

Many have the custom not to cut a child’s hair before the age of three. Consequently, a child who turns three is only “released from prison” on Chol Hamoed and it should therefore be permitted to give him a haircut.

Sounds good, so why not give him a haircut?

It’s more than that. The Shulchan Aruch explicitly says that one may give a haircut to a child under bar mitzvah, however the Mishna Berura [6] adds that this is only when the child has a lot of hair that disturbs him, which is not normally the case.

It seems that halacha is in favor of giving a three year old a haircut on Chol Hamoed but some distinguished rabbis prefer the custom not to do so.

As is usual in such instances, one must ask one’s rav.

Are there restrictions as to cutting fingernails?

The Mechaber rules that one may cut finger and toenails in the regular manner on Chol Hamoed. The Rama is stringent and says that custom is one does not, unless for a mitzvah (immersion). [7] The Mishna Berura rules [8] that if one cut nails before Yom Tov one may cut them on Yom Tov as well.

This implies that one who did not cut nails before Yom Tov may not cut them on Yom Tov (e.g. before the last day of Yom Tov). The Be’er Heitev cites an opinion who holds that one who cuts nails regularly before Shabbos may cut them on Chol Hamoed before Shabbos (it probably includes before Yom Tov as well). [9]

Footnotes:
[1] Simon 546:5 and M”B 16.

[2] M”B ibid, SS”K 66 23.

[3] See Kaf haChaim simon 531:30, SS”K 66 footnote 126.

[4] Simon 531:4.

[5] The SS”K 66 footnote 114 says that this might not be applicable in many contemporary prisons where shaving is mandatory.

[6] Simon 531:15.

[7] Simon 532:1.

[8] Simon 532:2.

[9] See the SS”K 66:33 and footnote 136.