daf bit: Makkot 20

[cellio]

The mishna teaches: one who makes a baldness on his head or cuts the corners of his beard is liable to flogging. It goes on to discuss multiple penalties (if you make several bald spots you are flogged for them separately). The g'mara, in typical fashion, asks: how big is "a baldness"? There are several opinions: R. Huna says enough to show the bare scalp. R. Yehudah says in the name of R. Eleazar b. Shimon: the size of a bean. Tanna'im [mishna-era teachers] are cited for both positions, and a third tanna says removing two hairs counts (or, some say, the size of a lentil). (20a mishna, 20b g'mara)

The lentils in my pantry are bigger than the space occupied by two adjacent hairs on my head, by the way. Not that I'm planning to remove any of the latter.

When I shared this at minyan this morning, somebody asked me what kind of lentil. I suggested a research path for him but I don't think he'll bite.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/merle_/]

What counts as "making a baldness"? In theory, a haircut where they trim around your ears or up the back of your neck creates a baldness (the latter might not count as part of your head). Accidentally getting a bit of your hair ripped out by machinery, or asking for a haircut and having an inept barber: do these confer blame?

Argh, now I feel like finding a rabbi and debating the point. Stop converting me! ;-)

(and I would vote for brown lentils, the black ones mostly being cultivated in India)

[zevabe.livejournal.com]

I will confirm after studying niddah a bit, but a lentil sized space is either 4 hairs or nine (a square composed thereof). It comes up there in regard to sizes of other things.