Sefiras Ho’omer

 Question:

Does the minhag of not cutting hair during sefiras ha’omer only apply to one’s head and beard, or does it also apply to cutting hair on other areas of the body?

Introduction:

The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim Siman 493 Se’if 2) writes that the minhag is to refrain from cutting hair during the sefira period until Lag Bo’omer, and one should refrain from cutting hair until the morning of the 34th day of the omer (i.e. the day after Lag Bo’omer). The Remo (ibid) writes that this is not the custom in his region; rather hair cutting is already permitted on Lag Bo’omer itself. However, the Remo writes that one should only cut hair on Lag Bo’omer itself and not “from the eve” (“mibo’erev”).

Discussion: There is no clear mention in Hilchos Sefiras Ha’omer (Orach Chayim Siman 493) of whether this minhag applies also to cutting hair of other areas of the body or not.

In Hilchos Aveilus the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah Siman 390 Se’if 1) rules that it is forbidden for an ovel (within shloshim) to cut his hair, and this prohibition applies to hair on his head, beard and any other hair of the body.
(The dispensation mentioned by the Shulchan Aruch ibid is hair of the moustache or hair around the mouth which may be cut after shivah if it interferes with eating.)

Regarding Hilchos Bein Hamtzorim, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim Siman 551 Se’if 3) writes that it is forbidden to cut one’s hair or launder one’s clothes during the week in which Tisha B’av occurs (until Tisha B’av). The Shulchan Aruch later writes (Se’if 12) that this prohibition applies both to hair of the head, and to hair of other parts of the body.

Returning to sefiras ha’omer, although there is no clear mention in the Shulchan Aruch about whether the minhag applies to hair of other areas of the body, since the minhag of refraining from cutting hair during sefiras ha’omer is because of aveilus, we can presumably extrapolate from Hilchos Aveilus (and Hilchos Bein Hamtzorim) and cutting hair of other areas of the body should thus be included in the minhag and forbidden.

The Ohr Letziyon (Volume 3, Perek 17:4) clearly extrapolates from Hilchos Aveilus to sefiras ha’omer and forbids cutting hair of other areas of the body during sefiras ha’omer.

There are several concessions that should be mentioned:

• Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach and Rav Wosner are quoted (Sefer Bein Pesach l’Shavous Perek 9, 11) as ruling leniently regarding [a lady] tweezing eyebrows and eyelashes during sefiras ha’omer.

• We also find room for leniency regarding a married lady cutting hair that protrudes from her hair covering (Sefer Bein Pesach l’Shavous Perek 9, 12) for tzini’us reasons.

Conclusion: Regarding if the minhag of not cutting hair during sefiras ha’omer applies also to cutting hair on other areas of the body (besides for the head and beard), although there is no clear mention in the Shulchan Aruch about this in the context of sefiras ha’omer, since the minhag of refraining from cutting hair is because of aveilus, we can extrapolate from Hilchos Aveilus and Hilchos Bein Hamtzorim and cutting hair of other areas of the body should thus be included in the minhag and forbidden.

The Ohr Letziyon clearly extrapolates from Hilchos Aveilus and forbids cutting hair of other areas of the body during sefiras ha’omer.

It should be mentioned that Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach and Rav Wosner are quoted as ruling leniently regarding a lady tweezing eyebrows and eyelashes during sefiras ha’omer. There is also room for leniency regarding a married lady cutting hair that protrudes from her hair covering for tzini’us reasons.