shaving sideburns

Question

If your question is what length must your Peyot (sideburns) be, the answer is as follows. One cannot use a razor anywhere on the sideburns down to the bottom of the ear. Beyond that he cannot use a razor, because of the beard area. If he is using an electric trimmer, shaver, or a pair of scissors, even if it is a very close shave, it is OK as long as there are a few rows of hairs on the sideburns remaining, even if they're very short. The example used is that if you put a bowl on your head that covered your hair, your sideburns should stick out a few rows of hair from that. AA Dear Rabbi, If you want to posken according to the Shulchan Aruch and the aharonim, you are free to do so. But let's make something clear: the mishne tora (talmudic law) does NOT allow shaving with a scissor close to the skin Lephikhakh, im gilah zeqano bemisparaym, patur. (Rambam Avoda Zara 12, 7) Patur means that an action is assur yet not punishable. In this context, a person who shaves with a scissor does not get lashes. But patur by definition is ASSUR, regardless of what the mishne kesef says. Regarding the minimum length, it is given in hilchot nezirut: you must be able to fold the hairs of the beard from tip to root. There are 7 peyoth. 2 are the sideburns and 5 in the beard. According to what you said, it is perfectly OK to shave the 5 peyoth hazaqan with an electric shaver, but one must leave "few rows of hairs" in the two peoth harosh. However, HaRambam and shas do not make any distinction between the 7 peyoth for the purpose of shaving. It is assur to destroy them with a taar or to shave with a misparaym. It is only permitted to trim them (lelaqet or legaleah eth qetzothaw). If it were mutar to shave the 5 peoth ha zaqan with an electric shaver, it would also be mutar to do the same with the 2 sideburns and the rest of the head. If you do not repply, I will have to assume that you agree. Kol Tuv