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The Compromise View – Leave a Thin Layer of Facial Hair
Lift and Cut Shavers
Rav Rozen’s game-changing research also clarifies the great debate concerning electric shavers that use “lift and cut” technology. In certain circles it is widely accepted that such shavers are strictly forbidden. For example, the popular Aish HaTorah website states:[1]
One would not be permitted to use a shaver which employs "lift-and-cut" technology. Such shavers allege to lift the hairs, cutting them below the skin, and so function precisely as a razor and not as scissors.
Even the Orthodox Union’s Halacha Yomit site[2] states as follows from Rav Belsky:
Concerning the “lift and cut” shavers, Rav Belsky writes: “The “lift and cut” shaver presents more of a problem. Based on the company’s description, these shavers possess an internal double-blade, the first of which catches the hair and then pulls it beyond the screen and into the shaver. The second blade is then able to cut the hair (by itself without the use of the screen, which is not a scissor action)……Accordingly, it might be forbidden to shave with such devices, even according to the Shulchan Aruch. Removing the hair-catching spring blade would eliminate the concerns” (ibid p. 128).
Rav Baruch Simon[3] cites Rav David Feinstein as also forbidding lift and cut shavers.
However, Rav Rozen’s findings clarify that even lift and cut shavers operate using a scissors methodology. The video-based photograph clarifies that even in lift and cut shavers the blade does not touch the skin and the blade cuts only in combination with the screen.
The Zomet website states:
In addition, the current custom [among some] to remove the "lift and cut" mechanism from the shavers is hard to defend. If anything, this mechanism makes the operation even closer to that of scissors, since it uses three elements in the cutting process: the blade, the screen, and the "lift and cut" device.
Moreover, Rav Rozen notes that every electric shaver operates using a lift and cut mechanism. Rav Breisch already notes this (in 1967) in his Chelkat Yaakov responsum addressing electric shavers. Rav Rozen explains that the only difference between a lift and cut shaver and an electric shaver not equipped with this technology is its efficiency.
Shavers branded as “lift and cut” raise and cut facial hair more efficiently than non-lift and cut shavers. Thus, if one wishes to avoid lift and cut shaving it is insufficient to disable the lift mechanism. Rather one must take care not to press too hard and to avoid shaving over the same area following the rulings of the Chelkat Yaakov and Rav Ovadia. This recommendation is not set forth on either the Orthodox Union or Aish HaTorah website.
Bottom line, I heard Rav Mordechai Willig already in 1989 permit lift and cut shavers. Rav Aryeh Lebowitz affirms this in his ten minute Halacha post on electric shavers[4]. Rav Lebowitz cites Rav Hershel Schachter endorsing Rav Willig’s ruling. The Star-K also reports[5]: “It is the opinion of Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, Rabbinic Administrator of STAR-K, that the “lift-and-cut” is no different than a conventional triple header”.
Finally, the aforementioned Gillette website substantiates the rulings that permit lift and cut shavers[6]:
The Basics of Dry (Electric) Shaving
An electric razor has two parts to cut hair: a thin, perforated metal foil, and the “undercutter,” a set of tiny blades that move back and forth very quickly under the foil. The tiny, perforated holes in the foil are smooth on the outside, but sharp on the inside, acting as a second blade.
[View image 3 on linked PDF]
Electric shavers use the skin’s elasticity for prolonged shaving results. The shaver presses down on the skin and moves it, like a ship creating a bow wave.
[View image 4 on linked PDF]
As a result, the skin contacts the holes of the foil, causing the hair to become more exposed.
[View image 5 on linked PDF]
After it has been cut, the remainders of the hair pull back into the skin’s surface giving you that close shave.
Microscreen/Foil Shavers
Rav Baruch Simon[7] reports that Rav David Feinstein forbids using a foil shaver. The OU Halacha Yomit[8] presents Rav Belsky’s view on this matter:
“Micro-screen[9]” shavers may be problematic since some companies claim that the screen itself is razor-sharp[10] …. (and the surface of the screen is against the skin), with the internal blades pressing the hairs against the sharp edges of the screen’s perforations. “If the micro-screen is sharp enough that hairs could be cut by simply sliding it along the skin, it might be classified as a full-fledged razor”. While Rav Belsky ZT”L felt that the companies’ claims as to the razor-sharpness of the micro-screens are “unsubstantiated” he concludes, “Nevertheless, one who is reasonably cautious might still want to refrain from using “micro-screen” shavers because of the companies’ claims.” (ibid p. 128).
The Gillette website cited below demonstrates that Rav Belsky’s skepticism about the company’s claims is well-founded. In short, the website clarifies that the only difference between a foil razor and a rotary shaver is that the rotary cuts in a circular motion and the foil shaves in a linear motion. The underlying scissors operation is identical in both the foil and rotary shavers and both are therefore equally permitted:
There are two basic types of electric shaving systems: rotary and linear. Both systems use a foil that stays in contact with the skin while a blade (the “undercutter”) moves beneath it. The main difference between the two systems is the direction in which the undercutter moves.
[1] https://www.aish.com/atr/Electric_Shavers.html
[2] https://outorah.org/p/63112/
[3] https://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/lecture.cfm/759150/rabbi-baruch-simon/the-laws-of-peyos-and-beards/
[4] https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/746830/rabbi-aryeh-lebowitz/ten-minute-halacha-electric-shavers/
[5] https://www.star-k.org/articles/kashrus-kurrents/6141/a-cut-above-or-is-it/
[6] Binyamin Jachter observes that, unwittingly, Rav Shay Tahan’s YouTube presentation on how to easily disable the lift function of a lift and cut razor (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ92S1jU3D0) surprisingly demonstrates why those who permit lift and cut shavers are correct. Binyamin notes that Rav Tahan, while explaining how to remove the "lift" from the lift-and-cut, gave an interesting distinction between the lift blade and the cut blade. The lifter is a softer copper blade (which is easily cut and removed with a simple scissors) and the cutter is a harder steel blade. This surprisingly indicates that the lifter has very little chance of ever cutting through facial hair, which is comparable in strength to a thick copper wire in its own right according to the Gillette website.
[7] https://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/lecture.cfm/759150/rabbi-baruch-simon/the-laws-of-peyos-and-beards/
[8] https://outorah.org/p/63112/
[9] What currently is referred to as foil shavers were in earlier decades referred to as microscreen shavers.
[10] Rav Belsky seems to refer to the iconic advertisement for microscreen/foil shavers that famously claimed that the microscreen razor “shaves as close as a blade or your money back”. This commercial may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D47nzAU4PHo. Binyamin Jachter viewed the advertisement and comments “Listening to the Remington foil ad from 1983 shows the power of marketing. It demonstrates that despite there being no connection between an ad and reality it nonetheless convinces customers to buy a product. The claim in said video is that the first micro screen cuts close and the second cuts even closer. When looking at the Gillete website for shaving basics, with diagrams and detailed information, one can see that every modern shaving utensil, whether a razor blade or electric shavers, are all lift-and-cuts without exception. Dry razors have three blades inside them to perform the lift and cut action to cut facial hairs even below the surface of the skin. If Remington would be believed in their advertisement, then the blade behind the "super sharp" screen would not get a chance to do any lifting action, and their shavers would give only a surface level cut, at best. So while they use all of the “cool lingo” to promote sales, if their product did as they claimed, then their shaver would give a far worse cut. This demonstrates that advertisements should not shape a Halachic evaluation. Binyamin adds that the animation and illustration of the lift and cut mechanism in another iconic 1990 commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilYb97vDrzw offers inaccurate information about the lift and cut which is apparently what led some Posekim to forbid lift and cut electric shavers. I distinctly recall Rav Willig in 1990 observing that one should not attach any Halachic significance to the information presented in advertisements.