Erev Shavuos on Sunday: When to Take a Haircut?

Our custom is not to take a haircut during sefira except on erev Shavuos. What about when erev Shavuos is on Sunday and it’s difficult for me to take a haircut then? Can I take a haircut on Friday so I enter Shavuos properly? Harav Gedalya Oberlander of Kingston, PA, responds.

Harav Gedalya Oberlander – Kingston, PA

In response to your question about what I said in the weekly shiur on Anash.org:

This year, when Erev Shavuos falls on a Sunday, it is not permitted to take a haircut on Friday in honor of Shabbos. Rather, one must wait until Sunday, which is Erev Shavuos. You asked regarding what is stated in the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Siman 120, se’if 6) that when Lag BaOmer falls on Sunday, one may already take a haircut on the preceding Friday in honor of Shabbos.

Indeed, this is also explained in the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch (Siman 493, se’if 5):

“And if Lag BaOmer falls on Sunday, they are accustomed to take a haircut on Erev Shabbos out of honor for the Shabbos.”

Answer:

The Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch (Siman 493:5) writes:

“According to their words, there are those who are accustomed to take haircuts and to marry during the three Yemei HaHagbalah (Days of Preparation before Shavuos), except that they do not do so on Rosh Chodesh Iyar, only until Rosh Chodesh, but not including it.”

Similarly, the Mishnah Berurah (se’if katan 15) says:

“In our lands, the custom is to marry and take a haircut during the Shloshes Yemei HaHagbalah.”

From this we learn that according to the essential halachic ruling, one may already take a haircut at the beginning of the three days, and therefore it would be permissible to do so already on Friday.

Perhaps this is correct for those who do not follow the customs of the Arizal, to take a haircut for the honor of Shabbos, as you noted from the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch.

However, according to the Arizal, one may not take a haircut before Erev Shavuos.

As I explained at length in my sefer Minhagei Avoseinu Beyadeinu (Mo’adim, ch. 24, §7), from the words of the Kabbalists it appears that the prohibition of haircutting is a fundamental component of the customs of Sefirah. According to them, the inner reason for this prohibition relates to the fact that these are days of judgment, which particularly affect the hair.

This idea is already brought in the words of the Mekubalim (Kabbalists), such as in the derashos of Mahari ibn Shu’eib (vol. I, p. 222), one of the earliest sources, regarding the prohibition of haircuts during Sefiras HaOmer. In Tzror HaMor (by R’ Avraham Saba of the Spanish exiles, vol. II, p. 68), he writes:

“… in such a way that the prohibition of haircuts lasts until Shavuos. And so it is in truth…”

Likewise in Pri Etz Chayim (Sha’ar Sefiras HaOmer, ch. 7, p. 531), and in Tur Barekes (Siman 493), it is written:

“My teacher ז”ל would not take a haircut from Erev Pesach until Erev Shavuos at all — not on Rosh Chodesh, nor on Lag BaOmer…”

And so too in Sha’ar HaKavanos (vol. II, p. 189):

“Regarding shaving during these forty-nine days, my teacher would only cut his hair on Erev Pesach and Erev Chag HaShavuos. He would not cut his hair on Rosh Chodesh Iyar nor on Lag BaOmer, in any way.”

In Mishnas Chassidim (Maseches HaOmer, ch. 8, mishnah 5), he writes:

“And throughout the Omer, one should be careful not to cut the hair, for it is the Sod HaKotzim HaElyonim (mystical thorns of the upper worlds), about which Rabbi Akiva would expound many halachos — for they are the root of his soul. One who cuts them during these days — when his students died for not conducting themselves properly — weakens the supernal thorns.”

Custom of the Rebbeim

Indeed, the Rebbe Rashab was stringent like the Arizal. As it is written in Hayom Yom (3 Sivan):

“When they took haircuts during the days of preparation before Erev Shavuos, my father’s spirit was not pleased with it.”

He explicitly rejected the practice of R’ Chaim Vital, who did otherwise. As his son R’ Shmuel Vital testifies (in Hagahos on Sha’ar HaKavanos, §3):

“I too saw my teacher take a haircut on the 48th day of the Omer, and I did not understand his intent… He hid the matter from me and pushed me off with an excuse, saying: ‘Perhaps the Jewish barber could not come tomorrow to my home to give me a haircut, and I would sit on the festival without a haircut.’”

Indeed, there are Chassidim in Poland who are accustomed to cut hair on the 48th day of the Omer like R’ Chaim Vital.

But our minhag is not to take any haircut at all until Erev Shavuos.

When Erev Shavuos Falls on Shabbos

However, when Erev Shavuos falls on Shabbos — and it is thus impossible to take a haircut on Erev Shavuos — then it is a mitzvah to take a haircut on Friday, for it is forbidden to enter Yom Tov disheveled (menuval).

(As I discussed this at length in He’aros U’Biurim, Kovetz 1147, 3 Tammuz 5778; and so wrote in Avodas HaKodesh, Moreh BaEtzba, §221; and in Shu”t Minchas Elazar III:65.)

Similarly, Sefer Shevach HaMo’adim (p. 236) cites the Chassid Rav Shmuel Levitin that this was also the practice in Lubavitch: they would take a haircut on Friday.

The Gaon R’ Zalman Shimon Dworkin (in Kovetz Razash, p. 61) also ruled that in such a case one should take a haircut on Friday. He even did this himself. When the barber began to cut his hair, he was called by the secretary Rav Chodakov, who requested that he immediately come to the Rebbe זי”ע — to give him a haircut!

Here we have a clear precedent that the Rebbe himself acted this way.

Similarly, in Shu”t Divrei Moshe (by R’ Moshe Halberstam, §31:5) it is recorded that the Belzer Rebbe, Rav Aharon, took a haircut on a Friday when Shavuos fell on Sunday. Likewise, the tzaddik Rav Moshe Aryeh Freund, Gaavad of Yerushalayim (Marah D’Shmatta, p. 107).

But When Erev Shavuos Falls on Sunday

All of the above applies when Erev Shavuos falls on Shabbos. But when it falls on Sunday — and it is possible to take a haircut on Sunday — our minhag forbids taking a haircut before Erev Shavuos.

However, I was asked by various shluchim who live in places where:

● Haircuts can only be obtained from a barber

● And barbershops are closed on Sundays, as is common in many countries

If they do not take a haircut on Friday, they will not be able to do so on Erev Shavuos and will enter the festival disheveled.

In such a case, it is certainly a mitzvah to take a haircut on Friday, just as when Erev Shavuos falls on Shabbos — since it is not possible to take a haircut on Yom Tov eve.

And we find this explicitly in the testimony of R’ Shmuel Vital regarding the conduct of his father R’ Chaim Vital (Sha’ar HaKavanos, §493:3):

“I also saw my teacher take a haircut on the 48th day of the Omer. I did not know his intent… he concealed the matter from me and said perhaps the Jewish barber would not be able to come tomorrow… and I would sit on the festival without a haircut.”

It is clear that because of this concern, R’ Chaim Vital took a haircut before Erev Shavuos.

Even though R’ Shmuel wrote that “he dismissed me with a pretext,” implying there was a deeper reason that he did not want to reveal — still, it is clear this halachic concern was accepted and valid.

Conclusion:

One should not take a haircut before Erev Shavuos, even if it falls on Sunday.

Only in a case where one cannot take a haircut on Sunday, and would otherwise enter Yom Tov disheveled, is it certainly a mitzvah to take a haircut on Friday.