Question:
I’ve a few halachic questions around scratching hair:
1) Can I scratch/remove dandruff from my peyos area if I know there’s a strong chance that hair will fall out?
2) Can I do this on shabbos on the rest of my head? Is there an issue of gozez with removing dandruff or hair from the scalp or borer when removing dandruff from one’s hair?
Answer:
- It is permitted to scratch you head comb your peyos and remove dandruff even though there is a good chance that hair some peyos will be pulled out.
- Regarding Shabbos, although we may not remove dandruff that is still attached to the scalp because of gozez, it is permitted to scratch your head, because it is not inevitable that it will detach dandruff. If the scratching will inevitably remove dandruff, there are still poskim that permit it, see sources. Regarding the fact that it might pull out hairs, since you don’t intent to remove hair, it is permitted, unless pulling out hairs is inevitable.
Kesiva V’chasima tova
Sources:
- See R’ Akiva Eiger Gilyon Hashas Shevous 2b who questions this, the Chasam Sofer, brought in Piskei Teshuva Y:D 181-3 that the minhag is to be lenient about this. Also see Orshos Rabeinu 1 pg. 201 (old edition) Teshuvos V’hanhagos 1-460, Avnei Yoshpe 2-68(3)
- Mesores Moshe 2-O:CH 127, Shmiras Shabbos Khilchoso 14-69, Zachor Vshamor Gozez pg. 17.
Sources:
