Gozez

Summary

^[1]גוזז

1. דאורייתא: Removal of regenerating body part in the usual manner either for using the part removed, for improving bodily aesthetics or improving in any manner.
2. שבות 1: not using a כלי when that is the usual method
3. שבות 2: removal of body part that is not needed.
4. 3 שבות: utilizing אמירה לנכרי even if assisting the cutting

Discussion

גוזז, shearing wool, entails using a כלי to obtain wool—a material not intrinsic to the sheep’s life—thereby improving the skin of the sheep that now has less wool on it.

גוזז is then only relevant with easily replaceable body parts. That is to say, גוזז is only possible with cutting fingernails or body hair. Extracting teeth is debatable if it falls under the jurisdiction of גוזז. The אבני נזר^[2] argues that since one is not born with teeth and they fall out as people age, teeth are also included in the prohibition of גוזז. However, this is not accepted by all authorities as they argue that teeth are considered internal components of the body and then the issue of teeth removal would be included in עוקר דבר מגדלו, an issue discussed in קוצר.

(Pulling out teeth also has the potential for extracting blood. Therefore, there are a couple of other issues involved with pulling teeth and it then may only be permissible when the toothache is very severe. The exact qualification of the definition of severe pain and which prohibitions may be ignored in light of the pain were discussed in the introduction.)

Since shearing is accomplished by use of some sort of כלי, typically anytime גוזז is done by use of one’s hand the prohibition is only rabbinic in nature^[3]. Nevertheless, when the usual way of accomplishing a given act is done by hand the biblical prohibition is once again in effect. So for example, pulling out a single strand of hair would be considered biblically prohibited as opposed to cutting many hairs which once done by hand without scissors would only be rabbinically prohibited.

There is a מחלוקת ראשונים as to the exact nature of the מלאכה.

1. ^[4]תוס’: assumes that the primary purpose is to obtain the wool.
2. רמב”ן^[5]: the purpose of the מלאכה is to improve the skin that now has less hair
3. ריב”ש^[6]: shearing גוזז accomplishes making the skin aesthetically more pleasing.

According to תוס’’s position גוזז would only be prohibited when one wants the material sheared off the sheep. If so, cutting fingernails, hair or removing a tooth would not be considered גוזז מדאורייתא. Alternatively, the רמב”ן and ריב”ש think that any of these actions done in order to improve the features of the individual would be אסור מדאורייתא.

Even according to the latter positions, removal of hair, fingernails or teeth for technical reasons would only be rabbinically prohibited^[7]. Therefore, cutting fingernails for a woman to go to the mikvah^[8] or removing hair to place ECG probes on a patient that are not done for enhancement of the body would only be rabbinically prohibited^[9]. Similarly, cutting the umbilical cord would only be rabbinic in nature and would therefore be permitted as there is צער if it is not removed^[10] (notwithstanding the increased chance of infection that would make it a סכנה נפשות problem).

אמירה לנכרי in many of these instances would not necessarily render the act rabbinical for the simple reason that the one whose getting his hair, fingernails or teeth removed would have to aid the one performing the act by properly positioning his hand or opening his mouth. Nevertheless, the ערוךהשולחן^[11] maintains that the act would be categorized as rabbinic.

Removing a scab or some other abnormal growth will also be included in גוזז מדרבנן. However, if the growth is needed for biopsy then according to all three positions listed above it would be an איסור מדאורייתא as you need the specimen and the skin has been made aesthetically more pleasing.

Endnotes

1. חילוק בין מלאכת גוזז ומלאכת קוצר: גמ’ בכורות דף כה ע”א, גמ’ ירושלמי פ”ז שבת דף נא, מנחת חינוך מוסך שבת גוזז יב, ג, אג”ט, חז”א הלכות יו”ט סי’ קלג, א, קובל על יד החזקה. ↑

2. שו”ת אבני נזר קלא גוזז ט ↑

3. גמ’ שבת דף צד ע”ב, ט”ז או”ח שלו, ח, מהרי”ט אלגאזי פרק שלישי אות מ’ ב’, ב”ה ש”מ ב’ ד”ה יבלת מגופו ↑

4. שבת דף צד עב ד”ה אבל בכלי ↑

5. שם ↑

6. שו”ת ריב”ש שצד ↑

7. תהלה לדוד שכח ,ד, שו”ת אבני נזר קלא גוזז ט. חתם סופר כתובת, חתם סופר שו”ת פ”ט, ↑

8. רמ”א יו”ד קצ”ח ב’, ט”ז שם, נקודת הכסף שם, שיורי הטהרה סי’ קצח כט, שו”ת מהר”ם שיק או”ח ח’, נשמת אברהם סי’ שכח ס”ק עד ↑

9. אגלי טל גוזז יד, דעת תורה או”ח א’, נשמת אברהם סי שמ ס”ק א, ↑

10. ש”ע או”ח של, מג”א וא”א שם, שו”ת אבני נזר סי’ קלא, ו, ב”ה סי’ ש”ל סעי’ ז’ ד”ה הולד שנולד ↑

11. שכח, כג ↑