In a moving ceremony held yesterday in Miami, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto participated in a chalaka — the traditional first haircut ceremony for a three-year-old boy — and delivered words of inspiration to the audience.
“Just as a tree is subject to the laws of orlah,” Rabbi Pinto began, “where the fruits are forbidden for the first three years and only afterward permitted and elevated in holiness, so too with a child: for the first three years, the hair is left untouched, and only after that is it cut, symbolizing the child’s dedication to a life of Torah and reverence for God.”
Rabbi Pinto explained: “Cutting the child’s hair at age three is akin to removing the orlah — a physical act representing the transition from materiality to spiritual purity. Traditionally, the weight of the cut hair is given as a donation — either as oil for a synagogue or for the tomb of a righteous figure.”
During his remarks, Rabbi Pinto referenced the customs of great Jewish sages: “The holy Arizal brought his son at age three to the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron to perform the chalaka. Similarly, the Ridbaz, in his responsa, discusses a man who intended to perform a chalaka for his son at the tomb of Samuel the Prophet — showing the deep spiritual power associated with this tradition.”
Rabbi Pinto also shared a personal story: “When I was three years old,” he recounted, “there was no opportunity to hold a chalaka at the traditional site. Our grandfather, the Baba Meir — Rabbi Meir Abuhatzeira — instructed us to go to the tomb of Rabban Gamliel and perform the ceremony there.”
He emphasized the deeper significance of the moment: “Cutting the hair is not merely a physical action. It represents the purification of the soul. It marks the beginning of channeling the child’s life towards Torah, mitzvot, and holiness. It is a new opening — a writing and sealing for a good and peaceful life.”
Rabbi Pinto concluded with a heartfelt blessing for all those present:
“May the Holy One, Blessed be He, bestow upon all of us great abundance, blessings, and success in all our endeavors. May we merit to ascend ever higher in holiness and purity.”
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel