20 Jun THE SHAVING OF A BA’AL TESHUVAH

During many eras in
Jewish history, Jews
converted to other
religions, whether due
to physical, financial
or social pressure
or otherwise. Many
of these wayward
Jews returned to the Jewish community,
sometimes after escaping the country.
While a Jew who sins remains Jewish
(Sanhedrin 44a), he might still have to
undergo a return ritual in order to become
a community member in good standing.
I. Return Rituals
We find three or four views on the
subject:
1) Rav Shlomo Ben Shimon Duran
(Rashbash, 15th cen., Algeria; Responsa,
no. 89) says that not only apostates who
grew up Jewish but even their descendants
who are halachically Jewish may return to
the Jewish community without any ritual.
2) Rav Yosef Ibn Chaviva (15th cen.,
Spain; Nimukei Yosef, to Rif on Yevamos
47b, s.v. kiddushav) says that while
technically a returnee does not have to

do any ritual, he should immerse in a
mikveh like a freed slave. A freed slave
immerses as a rabbinic requirement so the
returnee similarly immerses as a rabbinic
requirement, at most. Nimukei Yosef
isn’t entirely clear and may mean that
this is merely a proper practice and not
a rabbinic obligation. Based on this, Rav
Avraham Gombiner (17th cen., Poland;
Magen Avraham 326:8) permits a returnee
to immerse in a mikveh on Shabbos. If the
immersion would change his status, he
would not be allowed to do so on Shabbos.
However, since it is merely a custom, it
does not change his status and therefore is
allowed on Shabbos.
3) Rav Dov Ber Travis (18th cen.,

Lithuania; Revid Ha-Zahav, Be-
ha’alosecha, s.v. ve-he’eviru) says that

it is a biblical obligation to immerse in
a mikveh after worshipping idolatry.
He points to Ya’akov’s command to his
family while fleeing Lavan, “Put away
the strange gods that are among you,
and purify yourselves” (Gen. 35:2). If
they have to purify themselves after just
carrying idols, someone who worships the
idols must certainly do likewise. Based on

this, Rav Travis disagrees with the Magen
Avraham quoted above and forbids a
returnee from immersing in a mikveh on
Shabbos in order to join the community.
4) Rav Yisrael Isserlein (15th cen.,
Austria; Terumas Ha-Deshen 1:86)
describes an Ashkenazic practice that a
returned apostate must shave all his hair
and then immerse in a mikveh before
returning to the community. He compares
such a person to the Levites in the desert,
who were inaugurated into their position
with shaving all hair (Num. 8:7). Rashi
(ad loc.) quotes Rav Moshe Ha-Darshan
who explains that the Levites served
as an atonement for the firstborns who
worshipped the Golden Calf. Since this
returnee worshipped idolatry, he must
go through a similar process of shaving
all his hair. Rav Isserlein goes so far as
to permit the shaving on Chol Ha-Mo’ed,
when shaving and cutting hair is usually
forbidden. Rav David Ha-Levi Segal (Taz,
17th cen., Poland) mentions this custom
twice in his Taz commentary to Shulchan
Aruch (Orach Chaim 531:7 as the custom
in some places; Yoreh De’ah 267:5).
II. Shaving Peyos
Rav Ya’akov Reischer (18th cen.,
Germany; Shevus Ya’akov 3:90) was
asked how far we take this comparison.
A metzora and Levite were shaved with
a razor, despite the general prohibition
against shaving a man’s beard and
the corners of his head (peyos) with
a razor. Should a ba’al teshuvah,
someone had become a worshipping
Christian and then returned to Judaism,
completely shave off even his beard
and peyos? Rav Reischer responds in
puzzlement. How could anyone think
that a Jew returning to observance
should have to sin, by shaving with a
razor his beard and peyos? The Torah
commanded a metzora and — at that
one point in history — the Levites.
Absent that command, shaving with a
razor is forbidden. Rather, this practice
is a custom and cannot be done with
a razor or in any way that violates a
prohibition.
Rav Chaim Yosef David Azulai
(Chida, 18th cen., Israel; Yosef Ometz
45) was asked the same question. Chida
responds in frustration about people
who take homiletic explanations
overly literally and end up violating
prohibitions. Those who require a
returnee from idolatry to shave all his
hair, due to the comparison to a metzora,

intend this as a custom. No one claims
that this is a Torah obligation. Therefore,
it cannot override the prohibitions related
to shaving.
In the course of his discussion, Chida
quotes an interesting comment of Rav
Avraham Ibn Ezra (12th cen., Spain). Ibn
Ezra (Num. 8:7) quotes the Sages as saying
that the Levites did not shave their peyos.
There is no existing Gemara or midrash
that records such a view. Chida suggests
that there must be some text where Ibn
Ezra saw this opinion. If that is the case,
then certainly a returnee should not shave
his peyos. However, even without Ibn
Ezra, even if the Levites did shave their
peyos, a returnee would not be allowed to
do so. Rabbenu Bachya Ben Asher (14th
cen., Spain; commentary to Num. 8:7),
in the texts we have available today, says
explicitly that the Levites shaved their
peyos. Similarly, Revid Ha-Zahav (ibid.)
quotes this Ibn Ezra and disputes his
opinion.
I believe that common custom today
follows the second view above. A Jew who
returns from worshipping another religion
immerses in a mikveh, as a custom. He
remains fully Jewish both during his
apostasy and after his return. However, he
sheds the mistakes of his past and rejoins
the Jewish community by immersing in
the mikveh and emerging on a new path.