Makkot 21a
מכות כ״א א — ד"ה וְאֵינוֹ חַיָּיב עַד שֶׁיִּטְּלֶנּוּ בְּתַעַר
Makkot 21a:6
The Talmud debates whether one violates the prohibition against shaving the beard only when using a razor, or whether other methods that remove hair from the root—such as tweezers or a plane—also incur liability; the dispute hinges on how to interpret the two verses concerning shaving, one mentioning the specific act of shaving and the other mentioning marring.
וְאֵינוֹ חַיָּיב עַד שֶׁיִּטְּלֶנּוּ בְּתַעַר. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״וּפְאַת זְקָנָם לֹא יְגַלֵּחוּ״, יָכוֹל אֲפִילּוּ גַּלָּחוֹ בְּמִסְפָּרַיִם יְהֵא חַיָּיב? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״לֹא תַשְׁחִית״. אִי ״לֹא תַשְׁחִית״, יָכוֹל אִם לִקְּטוֹ בְּמַלְקֵט וּרְהִיטָנִי יְהֵא חַיָּיב? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״לֹא יְגַלֵּחוּ״. הָא כֵּיצַד – גִּילּוּחַ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ הַשְׁחָתָה, הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר זֶה תַּעַר. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: אֲפִילּוּ לִקְּטוֹ בְּמַלְקֵט וּרְהִיטָנִי יְהֵא חַיָּיב. מָה נַפְשָׁךְ: אִי גְּמִיר גְּזֵירָה שָׁוָה – לִיבְעֵי תַּעַר, אִי לָא גְּמִיר גְּזֵרָה שָׁוָה – מִסְפָּרַיִם נָמֵי [לָא]!
The mishna teaches: And one is liable for marring the edges of his beard only if he removes the hair with a razor. The Sages taught a halakhic midrash: The verse states: “And the edge of their beard they may not shave” (Leviticus 21:5). One might have thought that for any manner of shaving, even if he shaved the beard with scissors, he would be liable; therefore, the verse states: “You may not mar the edge of your beard” (Leviticus 19:27), indicating that one is liable only for shaving that destroys the hair from the root, which is not the case with scissors. If the verse had stated only: “You may not mar,” one might have thought that even if he removed the hair with tweezers or with a plane he would be liable to receive lashes, as they destroy the hair from its roots; therefore, the verse states: “They may not shave,” indicating that only hair removal by means of shaving is prohibited, and that is not accomplished with a tweezers and a plane. How so? Based on these two verses, for what form of hair removal is one liable? One is liable only for shaving that involves marring. You must say that this is shaving with a razor. The mishna teaches that Rabbi Eliezer says: Even if he removed the hair with tweezers or with a plane, he would be liable to receive lashes. The Gemara objects: Whichever way you look at it, it is difficult. If he derives the halakha by means of a verbal analogy that he received from his teachers between the halakhot of shaving written with regard to priests (Leviticus 21:5) and the halakhot of marring written with regard to non-priests (Leviticus 19:27), let Rabbi Eliezer require shaving with a razor in order to render him liable, as did the Rabbis. If he does not derive the halakha by means of a verbal analogy, he should also not exempt one who removes the hair with scissors, as that should be included in the category of shaving.
