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The Rambam’s view · Bekhorot 25 · בכורות כ״ה
Plucking, Shearing, and Intent in Consecrated Animals
How the Rambam defines the prohibition of shearing sacrificial beasts and categorizes plucking on Shabbat.
The Dilemma of Shearing and Plucking
The Torah commands that an offering may not be shorn or put to labor. The verse specifies: "You shall do no work with the firstborn of your ox, and you shall not shear the firstborn of your flock". The Gemara explores whether shearing applies equally to cattle, and whether manually plucking hair (תוֹלֵשׁ) violates the prohibition of shearing (גּוֹזֵז),.
The Gemara further contrasts this with Shabbat prohibitions. On Shabbat, plucking a bird's wing creates liability for shearing, raising the question of why plucking an animal should be treated differently.
Plucking Excluded from Biblical Shearing
The Rambam rules that shearing an ox or working a sheep violates Torah law. Both species are governed by both prohibitions through the scriptural linkage of the verses.
However, the Rambam explicitly decides that plucking is not shearing under biblical law. The Kessef Mishneh notes that this halacha is taken directly from our sugya in Bekhorot.
וְהַגּוֹזֵז אֶת הַשּׁוֹר אוֹ הָעוֹבֵד בַּצֹּאן לוֹקֶה מִן הַתּוֹרָה. וְתוֹלֵשׁ אֵינוֹ כְּגוֹזֵז.One who shears an ox or works with a sheep is liable for lashes according to Scriptural Law. One who pulls out hair is not considered as if he shears it. (Mishneh Torah, Trespass 1:7)
The Minimum Shiur and Intent
The Rambam adds that one does not receive lashes for shearing an offering without cutting a minimum measure (שִׁיעוּר). This minimum equals double the width of a sit (רוֹחַב הַסִּיט כָּפוּל), identical to the rule of Shabbat.
Even Ha'azel explains that shearing consecrated animals is modeled after forbidden labor. The prohibition requires a beneficial use of fleece, so shearing a negligible amount without value does not trigger biblical lashes.
Plucking Feathers on Shabbat
The sugya cites a baraita where plucking a feather on Shabbat incurs a sin offering for shearing. The Rambam codifies that plucking a wing from a fowl is a derivative labor (תּוֹלָדָה) of shearing.
Maggid Mishneh explains this distinction: for birds, plucking is the standard method of harvesting feathers, whereas hair on animals is shorn with shears. The Rambam also rules that clipping the feather's tip is cutting (מְחַתֵּךְ) and smoothing its down is smoothing (מְמַחֵק),,,.
הַתּוֹלֵשׁ כָּנָף מִן הָעוֹף הֲרֵי זֶה תּוֹלֶדֶת גּוֹזֵז.A person who tears off the wing of a bird [is liable for performing] a derivative of shearing. (Mishneh Torah, Sabbath 9:7)
Scissors and the Red Heifer
Our daf discusses a red heifer with two hairs having red roots and black tips. Rabbi Yosei ben HaMeshullam permits clipping the black tips with scissors. Mishneh LaMelech notes that the Rambam adopts this ruling directly from Bekhorot.
The Rambam rules that one shears the black tips because his intention is not shearing the fleece for practical use. Even Ha'azel explains that since the prohibition requires desiring the fleece, acting purely to validate the animal does not violate the prohibition. Commentators like Tosafot on this passage are not available on Sefaria.
וְגוֹזֵז בְּמִסְפָּרַיִם אֶת רֹאשָׁן הַמַּשְׁחִיר וְאֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁשׁ מִשּׁוּם גִּזָּה בְּקָדָשִׁים שֶׁאֵין כַּוָּנָתוֹ לָגֹז:One should cut off the blackish head with scissors. He need not be concerned about the prohibition against shearing consecrated animals, because his intention is not to shear. (Mishneh Torah, Red Heifer 1:3)
Practical Implications
In practice, manual plucking of hair on a sacrificial beast does not violate the biblical prohibition of shearing. Trimming hairs without interest in the fleece is permitted when rectifying the animal's physical status.
On Shabbat, removing feathers remains biblically prohibited because plucking serves as the customary manner of gathering plumage,.
Biblical shearing requires the standard cutting of useful fleece, excluding manual plucking of animal hair and unintentional trimming of consecrated beasts.