193. Making a Bald Spot

Avodas Kochavim 12:14

The prohibition against self-mutilation also precludes having two courts following different practices in the same city, as this can be a source of great controversy. This is because the prohibition against self-mutilation (lo sigod’du) can be understood as “do not break into factions” (agudos).

Avodas Kochavim 12:15

If one made a bald spot on his head for the dead, he would be liable for the penalty of lashes as per Deuteronomy 14:1, “Do not make a bald spot between your eyes for the dead.” If a kohein (priest) or a Yisrael (Israelite) makes a bald spot for the dead, he is liable for only one set of lashes. If one made four or five bald spots for a single dead person, he is liable for a set of lashes for each bald spots he made so long as he was warned regarding each one.

It makes no difference whether a person made a bald spot with his hands or if he used a chemical. If he dipped his fingers into a chemical and placed them on five places on his head simultaneously, he is liable for five sets of lashes for making five bald spots. This is the case even though he was only warned once because all five bald spots were made at once.

A person would be liable for making a bald spot anywhere on head, not just between the eyes, as Leviticus 21:5 says, “Do not make a bald spot on your heads.” The liable size of a bald spot is an area the size of a gris (which is about the size of a dime).