First Haircut
Chalakah or upsherin1 refers to the Jewish custom of cutting a boy’s hair at his third birthday.2 In many Jewish communities, they refrain from cutting a young boy’s hair for the first three years of his life.3 At his third birthday, the boy receives his first haircut, which is very commonly celebrated with a festive ceremony.
At the time of the haircut, the parents must ensure that the barber does not remove the child’s peyot (side locks). Thus, the child has his first interaction with the mitzvah of peyot.
In many communities, after his haircut, the child dons a kippah4 (skullcap) for the first time. He also receives a talit katan5 with tzitzit (fringes).
Big Moment!
The chalakah is a momentous occasion in Jewish life, as a boy is first introduced to his personal performance of mitzvot (Jewish commandments). Jewish parents utilize this occasion to instill in their child a love for Torah and mitzvot.
It is customary for many parents to bring their child on his third birthday to a Rebbi (Jewish teacher) who introduces the child to the study of Torah.6 The Rebbi begins teaching the child the Alef-Bet (Jewish alphabet). As he shows the boy the letters of the Aleph-Bet, he pours honey over the sacred letters, allowing the young soul to taste the sweetness of our Holy Torah! In the coming sections we will discuss upsherin halachic guidelines and ceremony customs.7
By Rabbi Mayer Smith
Sources for upsherin part 1:
1 “Chalakah” in Hebrew and “Upsherin” in Yiddish mean haircut. In the coming sections we will use both terms interchangeably for the comfort of all readers.
2 Sha’arei Teshuvah Orach Chaim 531:7
3 Shu”t Arugat Habosem 210 and Shu”t Maharam Brisk 2:98
4 The kippah is a head covering worn by Jewish males. Covering one’s head signifies humility and the recognition of God’s supreme dominion over him.
5 A talit katan is a four-cornered garment with four woolen strings on each corner. This garment is generally worn between one’s shirt and undershirt. In Chassidic circles, this garment is often worn above their shirt. A four cornered garment is biblically obligated to have tzitzit on its four corners (when worn by a Jewish male). However, it is customary to wear a talit katan in order to constantly perform this mitzvah. (See Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:4 that one may not deviate from this custom.) Wearing Tzitzit on our garments serves as a reminder of the Mitzvot of God! (See Bamidbar/Numbers 15:39)
6 Rema Yoreh De’ah 345:4
7 Although some Upsherin traditions may vary in different communities, in this series we will try to focus on the basic Ashkenazic and Sephardic Upsherin customs.
