Shabbos 9

 “A person may not sit before the barber adjacent to the time of minḥa until he recites the afternoon prayer. And a person may not enter the bathhouse and may not enter to work in a tannery. And he may neither begin to eat a meal nor to sit in judgment until he prays.”

Today we learn about activities that are best not started adjacent to the afternoon prayer and especially on the onset of the Sabbath when things are much more rushed: sitting for a haircut, working in a tannery, sitting in judgment of another or engaging in a large meal. 

The Talmud appears to be prophetic of what occurs in a modern salon where a precision haircut can take quite a long time (the Koren Talmud provides an example of a complicated Roman haircut with intricate undulated waves). My stylist takes about one hour to cut my hair and he performs a dance of sorts as he sways back and forth trimming and cutting and measuring what seems like each strand. 

The inclusion of sitting judgment in this list suggests a sensitivity toward a time when a judge or jury might be rushed in their analysis of a case and in making a final determination due to the pressing of the oncoming Sabbath. Anyone who has ever served jury duty right before a holiday knows the pressure to conclude a case quickly, which may not result in the fairest of decisions.

Today’s discussion reminded me of the dance of urgency one sees in a religious neighborhood in the few hours before sunset on a Friday afternoon.  It brings forth images of the choreography that is present when you see men and women rushing about to get all their Shabbat chores down before evening comes. They are often carrying bags of supplies for the weekend and the air is thick with energy and the promise of stillness and quiet that is to follow. It is a magical time.