Rav Daniel Osher Kleinman (Teshuvot Bigdei Chamudot Yoreh Deah 107:9), a great Talmid Chacham who resides in Brooklyn, asserts that when shaving using a trimmer, one must hold the trimmer upside down. He reasons that a trimmer functions with two blades—a moving one and a stationary one. The moving one works in tandem with the stationary one to cut hair like scissors.
Rav Kleinman points to the Rama (Y.D. 181:10), who codifies the Terumat Ha’deshen (295), who records the common practice of using only the top blade of scissors for shaving lest the bottom blade cut alone, which would operate like a razor. The Rama writes: “We are cautious when trimming with scissors to make the shaving motion with the upper piece of the scissors and not with the bottom piece, lest one does it all with the bottom piece and it acts as a razor.”
Rav Kleinman argues that, accordingly, one should not use a trimmer in the usual manner in which the moving blade is on the bottom since the blade, in this case, touches the skin and acts as a razor. Therefore, he concludes that when using the trimmer, one must hold it upside down so the moving blade is on top.
Rav Kleinman writes that he spoke with Rav Shmuel Kaminetzky about this matter, who said that, in fact, for years, he instructs men to use a trimmer only when holding it upside down so that the moving blade is on top.
Rav Kleinman notes that many Bnei Torah use trimmers to satisfy the Chazon Ish, who forbids using an electric shaver that leaves a clean shave. Since typical trimmers used in homes leave a bit of hair, it seems to satisfy the Chazon Ish’s standard. Rav Kleinman writes that it appears to him these Yeshiva students are in error since when using an electric shaver, one avoids this problem since the shaving blade does not touch the face. He thinks that when used normally, trimmers create a situation that electric shavers do not pose since the cutting blade touches the face.
Rav Kleinman is not alone in this stance. The Israeli organization “Tisporet KaHalacha” adopts the same position. They distribute a flier in Hebrew and English, making this claim. They add that even when using the trimmer upside down, one must avoid pressing it strongly against the skin to prevent creating contact between the moving blade and the skin. Significantly, Rav Gidon Ben Moshe (Teshuvot Yoru Mishpatecha Y.D. 26) quotes Rav Ben Zion Abba Shaul as agreeing.
Rav Belsky, Rav Heinemann, and Rav Schachter
However, Rav Yisroel Belsky (Shulchan Ha’levi, p. 127) writes that “many bnei Torah choose to use trimmers, which do not cut nearly as close as electric shavers, to satisfy the requirements of the stricter halachic viewpoint regarding electric shavers.” Rav Skulnick told me that Rav Moshe Heinemann and Rav Hershel Schachter agree with Rav Belsky.
Response to Rav Kleinman—Correspondence With Martin Van Veen
In defending the rulings of the three great Rabbanim and the practice of thousands of Bnei Torah, we begin by presenting an email exchange I had with Mr. Martin Van Veen, a senior engineer at Philips Norelco, who has kindly provided us with information regarding electric shavers since 2021:
I wrote to him on October 9, 2024:
Greetings Mr. Van Veen,
My son Binyamin and I are grateful for your kind responses to our continuing inquiries regarding the functioning of electric shavers.
Today, we want to clarify the mechanics of electric shavers’ trimmers. I understand there is a stationary and oscillating blade that move simultaneously and cut hair like scissors.
My question is whether either blade can cut without the other blade’s partnership.
Thank you in advance for your clarification.
Mr. Van Veen responded on October 10, 2024:
Dear Mr. Jachter,
Regarding your question: whether either blade is capable of cutting without the partnership of the other blade.
You need both parts to cut hairs; the oscillating blade and the stationary blade.
When only using the oscillating blade or only the stationary blade the hairs are being pushed away without being cut.
The oscillating blade and the stationary blade form a pair of scissors with a combined shearing angle and cutting edges needed to cut the hair.
Rav Kleinman’s Inaccuracy
Accordingly, trimmers are incapable, by design, of functioning as razors. As with electric shavers, they are engineered to function as scissors and not as razors. Electric shavers are designed for durability. Therefore, their cutting angles are not sharp, so they function as long-lasting scissors, unlike razors that cut at a sharp angle but have very short-term utility.
Thus, the Rama/Terumat HeDeshen’s concern regarding the scissors’ bottom blade is irrelevant regarding trimmers, as it is irrelevant regarding all electric shavers. The conventional scissors’ bottom blade can be sharpened and function as a razor if one scrapes it directly against his face. However, by design, electric shavers and trimmers cannot function as razors.
Moreover, Rav Kleinman’s ruling leads to a shocking conclusion. He permits an electric shaver, which leaves a clean shave, arguing that it does not function like a razor. Yet, he argues that a trimmer, when used, normally functions like a razor even though it does not leave a clean shave. If it functions like a razor, why does it not leave a clean shave? The fact that it does not leave a clean shave proves beyond any reasonable doubt that it does not function like a razor.
In addition, Rav Kleinman fundamentally misunderstands why an electric shaver is permitted. He thinks, based on Rav Zvi Pesach Frank (Teshuvot Har Zvi 143), that the primary point of permission for electric shavers is that the blade does not touch the skin. However, we think that he misunderstands Rav Frank.
Although Rav Frank writes that electric shavers are permitted due to the gap between the face and the blade, Rav Frank views the gap not as the reason for permitting electric shavers but as an indication that they cut hair like scissors. In yeshiva parlance, the gap is a siman (indication), not a sibah (reason) to permit an electric shaver. Rav Kleinman believes that Rav Frank sees the gap as the sibah to permit electric shavers and even an electric shaver blade capable of cutting independently (although such a blade does not exist).
According to our understanding, an electric shaver that (in theory, since such an electric shaver does not exist) does not cut in a scissors motion is not acceptable according to Rav Frank. In other words, to permit an electric shaver, the shaver must cut in a scissor-like motion (as they all do).
The fact that there is a gap between the blade and the face is insufficient by itself to render the shaver permissible. The gap indicates that the blade does not use the counterforce of the face to cut (as is done by a razor) but rather uses the counterforce of the screen to cut like scissors.
Rav Kleinman writes that Rav Moshe Feinstein would permit a shaver even if its shaver blade could cut on its own if there is a gap between the screen and the shaver blade. However, this is incorrect. Rav Baruch Simon reports that he raised this point with Rav David Feinstein, and Rav David responded that the gap is too small to say that a shaver does not function as a ta’ar.
According to Rav Moshe, the only determinant is whether an electric shaver functions as scissors, with its shaver blade incapable of cutting hair without the partnership of the screen. Since the information from Philips-Norelco proves that all electric shavers function as scissors with the shaver blade incapable of cutting hair, Rav Moshe permits all shavers. However, the screen serving as a separation is not the determining factor that permits electric shavers.
Conclusion
Rav Belsky and Rav Heinemann agree that the basis for Rav Moshe Feinstein permitting electric shavers is their functioning as scissors. Even Rav Kleinman concedes that Rav Moshe permits a shaver that functions like scissors even if it cuts directly on the skin. Accordingly, trimmers are designed to function only like scissors, allowing them even if they cut directly on the skin.
Moreover, household trimmers are halachically superior to electric shavers since they do not leave a clean shave and satisfy the Chazon Ish’s requirement that a shaver must leave some stubble to be permitted. Accordingly, the thousands of meritorious bnei Torah who shave with household trimmers, following Rav Belsky, Rav Heinemann, and Rav Schachter, are undoubtedly acting correctly.
Rabbi Jachter serves as the rav of Congregation Shaarei Orah, rebbe at Torah Academy of Bergen County and a get administrator with the Beth Din of Elizabeth. Rabbi Jachter’s 19 books may be purchased at Amazon and Judaica House.
