Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 12

Hook

"Do not cut off the corners of your heads." Like a protective boundary drawn by the Torah, these ancient verses serve as a mark of distinct identity, separating the sacred from the common.

Context

• The Source: Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, specifically Hilchot Avodat Kochavim (Foreign Worship), Chapter 12.
• The Era: Written in 12th-century Egypt, a time when Rambam sought to clarify the boundaries between Jewish observance and the practices of surrounding cultures.
• The Community: The Sephardi and Mizrahi tradition, which deeply treasures Rambam’s systematic legal code as a pillar of halakhic life.

Text Snapshot

"We may not shave the corners of our heads as the idolaters and their priests do... One is liable for each corner. Therefore, a person who shaves both his temples... is liable for two measures of lashes."

Minhag/Melody

In many Sephardi and Mizrahi communities, this prohibition is not just an abstract law but a visible statement of pride. While the law permits trimming with scissors, many men historically chose to let the payot (sideburns) grow long and uncut. It is a tradition that turns a negative commandment into an aesthetic expression of Jewish continuity, often seen in the distinct grooming of Yemenite, Moroccan, and Syrian scholars.

Contrast

While Ashkenazic tradition often focuses on the specific length or location of the payot based on later commentaries like the Shulchan Aruch and the Ari z'l, the Sephardi approach—following the Rambam—often emphasizes the underlying logic: avoiding the imitation of "foreign priests." Both maintain the prohibition, but the Sephardi practice often centers on the intent to remain distinct from non-Jewish fashion, rather than just the mechanics of the hair.

Home Practice

The Practice of Intentionality: Choose one aspect of your appearance or daily routine that connects you to your heritage. Whether it is a style of dress or a specific way of performing a mitzvah, ask yourself: "How does this practice create a boundary that reminds me of who I am?"

Takeaway

The prohibition against shaving the "corners" is more than a restriction; it is a call to be recognizable, to maintain a unique identity that does not simply blend into the prevailing culture, but stands firmly in its own tradition.