Cutting One's Nails: Difference between revisions
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# When one cuts or bites one's nails, one must make sure that none of the clippings remain on the floor. It is best to burn one's nail clippings. The next best option is to bury them.<ref> Gemara Moed Katan 18a, Mishna Brurah 260:6, Yalkut Yosef 260:3. | # When one cuts or bites one's nails, one must make sure that none of the clippings remain on the floor. It is best to burn one's nail clippings. The next best option is to bury them.<ref> Gemara Moed Katan 18a, Mishna Brurah 260:6, Yalkut Yosef 260:3. | ||
* The Gemara Moed Katan 18a writes that if a pregnant woman steps on nail clippings there is a danger that she might lose the child she is [[carrying]]. The gemara continues that when one cuts (or bites) one's nails, one must make sure that none of the clippings remain on the floor. It’s best to burn one's nail clippings. The next best option is to bury them. This is brought as halacha by the Mishna Brurah 260:6 and [http://www.eichlers.com/Product/Books/Halachah_-_Jewish_Law/General_Issues/Amot-Shel-Halacha---Halachic-Insights---The-Dalet-Amot-Halacha-Series:-1-_H028-3.html Amot Shel Halacha] (by Rabbi Ari Enkin). Rabbi Enkin quoting the Bear Hetiev 260:2 writes that the reason for this is that before the sin of the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve wore garments made of a fingernail-type substance. After they sinned God took away this Divinely provided clothing. Since it was Eve who was essentially responsible for this loss, our fingernails – which recall these clothes – are said to bring harm to pregnant women. Of course, this is a spiritual and not a scientific matter. </ref> Some poskim allow flushing one's nails down the toilet or washing them down the sink if one leaves the water running for a few minutes.<ref>[https://www.kof-k.org/articles/021909100243Doc13.pdf Halachically Speaking (vol 4, issue 22)] quoting Rav Yisrael Belsky allows flushing one's nails down the sink. Halachically Speaking also extends this to washing the nails down the sink if one leaves the water running for a few minutes. [https://www.dailyhalacha.com/Display.asp?PageIndex=117&ClipID=1872 Rabbi Mansour] also assumes that this would be acceptable.</ref> | * The Gemara Moed Katan 18a writes that if a pregnant woman steps on nail clippings there is a danger that she might lose the child she is [[carrying]]. The gemara continues that when one cuts (or bites) one's nails, one must make sure that none of the clippings remain on the floor. It’s best to burn one's nail clippings. The next best option is to bury them. This is brought as halacha by the Mishna Brurah 260:6 and [http://www.eichlers.com/Product/Books/Halachah_-_Jewish_Law/General_Issues/Amot-Shel-Halacha---Halachic-Insights---The-Dalet-Amot-Halacha-Series:-1-_H028-3.html Amot Shel Halacha] (by Rabbi Ari Enkin). Rabbi Enkin quoting the Bear Hetiev 260:2 writes that the reason for this is that before the sin of the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve wore garments made of a fingernail-type substance. After they sinned God took away this Divinely provided clothing. Since it was Eve who was essentially responsible for this loss, our fingernails – which recall these clothes – are said to bring harm to pregnant women. Of course, this is a spiritual and not a scientific matter. </ref> Some poskim allow flushing one's nails down the toilet or washing them down the sink if one leaves the water running for a few minutes.<ref>[https://www.kof-k.org/articles/021909100243Doc13.pdf Halachically Speaking (vol 4, issue 22)] quoting Rav Yisrael Belsky allows flushing one's nails down the sink. Halachically Speaking also extends this to washing the nails down the sink if one leaves the water running for a few minutes. [https://www.dailyhalacha.com/Display.asp?PageIndex=117&ClipID=1872 Rabbi Mansour] also assumes that this would be acceptable.</ref> | ||
# A pregnant woman may not walk upon nail clippings because it is considered dangerous.<ref>Rav Chaim Kanievsky (Alei Siach p. 227) forbids a pregnant woman from walking on top of nail clippings even to go to a do a mitzvah.</ref> Therefore, at a nail salon a pregnant woman may not walk on nail clippings. They should sweep the nails to the side.<Ref>Rav Belsky (Halachically Speaking v. 22 Issue 4 fnt. 41) writes that at a nails salon there are usually nails spread all over the floor. In order to avoid stepping on the nails, they should be swept to even to a different area in the same room. He adds that this is an issue even if the nails are from non-Jews.</ref> | |||
==When to Cut One's Nails== | ==When to Cut One's Nails== | ||
