The Prohibition of Shearing Consecrated Animals

איסור גיזת קדשים

Does the Torah prohibit removing fleece from an offering as an illicit benefit from sacred property, or is any act of severing animal growth intrinsically forbidden?

The Torah forbids shearing consecrated animals based on the verse concerning the firstborn: 'You shall do no work with the firstborn of your ox, and you shall not shear the firstborn of your flock'. The Gemara applies both prohibitions to cattle and flocks alike, establishing that shearing an ox is biblical.

The Gemara examines Rabbi Yosei ben HaMeshullam's ruling regarding a red heifer (פרה אדומה) that has two black hairs with red roots: one may cut their black tips with scissors to render the heifer valid. This raises an immediate challenge against the prohibition of shearing consecrated animals.

To resolve why this cutting is permitted, the Gemara explores whether shearing applies to cattle hair, whether the red heifer has altar sanctity or Temple maintenance sanctity (קדשי בדק הבית), and whether an act performed merely to rectify an offering is defined as prohibited shearing at all.

The question

Is the prohibition of shearing consecrated animals defined by the functional exploitation of fleece, or does it encompass any physical detachment of growth from the animal's body?

Through the sources

The Gemara (Gemara)

שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת — עִיקָּרָן מַאֲדִים, וְרֹאשָׁן מַשְׁחִיר, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן הַמְשׁוּלָּם אוֹמֵר: גּוֹזֵז בְּמִסְפָּרַיִם, וְאֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁשׁ.

Rabbi Yosei ben HaMeshullam permits cutting the black tips of hairs on a red heifer with shears. He holds that one need not fear shearing קדשים (consecrated animals).

The Gemara (Gemara)

The Gemara links labor and shearing across species by textual exposition. This establishes that the Torah forbids shearing cattle as well as sheep.

The Gemara (Gemara)

The red heifer possesses sanctity of Temple upkeep, which is only rabbinically protected from shearing. Because the red heifer is exceedingly rare, the Rabbis did not apply their decree.

Rashi (Rishonim)

ואינו חושש משום גיזה בקדשים אלמא משום דאין מתכוין לשום גיזה אלא לתקן שרי.

Rashi explains that cutting the hairs is permitted because the person has no intent to shear fleece. The act is performed solely to rectify the animal's ritual fitness.

Tosafot (Rishonim)

דאין זה כשאר לשון אין מתכוין בעלמא דכיון דבכוונה גוזז במספרים

Tosafot rejects Rashi's explanation because the individual intentionally cuts the hair with shears. Cutting to rectify should not escape the definition of shearing unless the objective act lacks productive shearing.

Chiddushei Ramban on Shabbat (Rishonim)

Ramban notes that on Shabbat, detaching animal growth is classified under the labor of shearing. However, in consecrated animals, plucking is excluded from biblical shearing because the Torah only forbade the customary manner of harvesting wool.

Ways to understand it

Exploitation of Animal Fleece

The prohibition focuses on utilizing the animal's coat as one does with ordinary livestock. Removing hair without intent for fleece or in an irregular manner does not constitute biblical shearing.

Intrinsic Severing of Animal Growth

Any direct cutting of hair from a consecrated animal represents the forbidden act of shearing. Even cutting performed to rectify an offering is inherently shearing unless excluded by formal status or rabbinic leniency.

Where it lands

The Gemara concludes that shearing by Torah law applies to all consecrated altar animals and cattle. For the red heifer, the exemption stems from its classification as property consecrated for Temple maintenance, where shearing is only rabbinically prohibited and was waived due to its extreme rarity. The definitive halachic codes are not supplied in this text selection, leaving the exact boundaries between constructive rectification and illicit shearing to the underlying dispute among the Rishonim.

The prohibition of shearing consecrated animals balances the physical act of severing bodily growth against the purposeful exploitation of sacred fleece.

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