May these words of Torah serve as a merit le’iluy nishmat Menachem Mendel ben Harav Yoel David Balk, a”h.
This week we learned Shavuot 3. These are some highlights.
Shavuot 3: Half of a young man’s beard turned white; can he go to the beauty parlor to have the entire beard dyed black?
A 30-year-old man woke up one morning and discovered that half his beard had turned white. He was a businessman who often met with others and tried to make deals. He was concerned about his looks. He felt people might consider him weird-looking. He was embarrassed. He came to Rav Zilberstein with his problem. “May I go to the beauty parlor and have them dye my entire beard black? The workers at the beauty parlor are not Jewish. Can I use their services to change my appearance into a look that will not shame me?” Is a man coloring his hair in such a situation violating the prohibition against a man dressing like a woman, lo yilbash gever simlat isha?
Makkot (20b) teaches that if a man pulls out white hairs from amidst black hairs he would deserve lashes for the sin of lo yilbash gever simlat isha. Rambam (Hilchot Avodat Kochavim 12:10) adds that a man who dyes his hair also deserves lashes.
Shu”t Shoe’l Umaishiv (Mahadura Alef Chelek Alef Siman 210) argues that many authorities disagree with Rambam. They feel that a man dying hair is only a rabbinic prohibition. The Gemara only said that tearing out hairs would be a biblical sin. Coloring is different. Rabbinic prohibitions are permitted in place of great pain. Shu”t Maharam Schick (YD Siman 173) and many others disagree and feel that a man may not dye his hair to avoid shame and discomfort.
Shu”t Maharsham (Chelek Bet Simanim 243-244) feels that a man may not allow a gentile to dye his hair. His logic is that the prohibition of lo yilbash gever simlat isha is on more than the one-time act of dying the hair. It is a prohibition to walk around in feminine dress and attire. If a man’s hair has naturally turned white, for him to dye it black would be a feminine act. Even if the gentile did the act, he still has a problem, for the resulting femininity is the sin. Maharsham adds that Tosafot on our page teaches that a Jew may not allow a gentile to shave off his beard with a razor. Therefore, according to Tosafot, presumably a Jewish man also may not allow a gentile to dye his hair to a different color.
Rav Zilberstein seeks to suggest an argument for leniency. Perhaps, even Rambam is only prohibiting an older man who seeks to dye his hair to look younger and more attractive than his age and his natural condition. In our case, we are dealing with a young man who is seeking to dye his hair to return his appearance to the way he should look naturally. Maybe such hair coloring is not a violation of lo yilbash gever simlat isha. It is not a feminine act to try and restore one’s natural look. It would be a feminine act for an older man to dye his hair so that he appears more youthful than his true age. A similar argument is advanced in the work Shu”t Levushei Mordechai (Yoreh Dei’ah Siman 100). He was asked about a man who wanted to hide red spots on his skin by applying women’s makeup onto his face. Was he allowed to do so? Shu”t Levushei Mordechai permits it. He feels that makeup to hide red spots differs from coloring white hairs black. It is the way Hashem made the world that as a man ages his hair turns white. A person who colors his hair black is seeking to go against nature for the sake of looking more beautiful. It is a feminine act. A man may not do it. But, a man who has red marks on his skin has an unnatural condition. His applying makeup to hide the marks is permitted. He is doing something to make himself look like the way Hashem intends him to appear. When he is restoring his appearance to the way it should be naturally he is not violating lo yilbash gever simlat isha. In light of this argument, perhaps in our case as well, he would be allowed to dye his beard back to black. It is not the natural way for half the beard to be white. When he is dying his beard fully black he is merely restoring his appearance to the way it should naturally be (Chashukei Chemed).
By Rabbi Zev Reichman
Rabbi Zev Reichman teaches Daf Yomi in his shul, East Hill Synagogue.
