Question
Since about 7 or 8 years I decided to let my peiot harosh grow to a certain length and then trim them once in a while. With this I would really like to follow the opinion of the Ari HaKadosh. As far as I understood he held that you should let then grow, but that he also trimmed them. It’s just unclear to me if this is true and if so, to what length should I let them grow. Currently I wear them behind my ears and the protrude a few cm below my ears. I spoke once with a Breslev Chassid who didn’t cut his peiot at all and waas curious why they didn’t seem to follow the way of the Ari hakadosh. He said that it’s not exactly clear what the Ari meant.
Whatever the case may be, I would like to know what Maran HaRav Morechai Eliyahu זצוק”ל held in this matter. I am Sefardi and (like to) follow the derech of the Ben Ish Chai.
How long should I leave my peyot (ha rosh) grow?
Thank you, kol tuv,
Answer
Regarding pe’at horosh, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu zt”l maintained that the area of the pei’ot extends until adjacent to the bottom of the lobe of the ear (recording attached) and the length of each hair in the pe’ah area has to be long enough that can be grasped with one’s fingers.
It appears that the Ben Ish Chai also did not require that the hairs of the pe’at horosh be longer than this (he writes in his Sefer Ben Ish Chayil that the hairs should be “clearly visible”).
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