in the middle of the page the Lishna Acharina continues on to explain the idea of Mitztarfin with rav and shmuel since the boards to come to posul the sukkah rav meir holds the sheet and the poles combine. but rabbi yehuda says that the sheet and poles don't combine! he holds it's kosher anyway why say they don't combine? I saw an answer that said that r yehuda needs a parallel opposite opinion so he said Mitztarfin! my question is that why doesn't rabbi yehuda say that the sheets and the poles join?
Elie Samet, Jerusalem, Israel
1) I am not aware of any mystical reasons against the haircut but the question involved is fear. However we see from the Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 156:1 that one does not literally require a reshus harabim to get a heter for a haircut but it is sufficient that it is in a place where people are frequently present. Therefore I should have thought that most barber stores are in fairly public places and if so this should be permitted .
In addition the Mishneh Berurah 20:7 cites the Chaye Adam that nowadys the idol-worshippers are not suspected of bloodshed. It is interesting that the Kaf Hachayim (whose author was born in Iraq in 1867) disagrees with the Chaye Adam and reports that there had been quite a few incidents, or at least attempted incidents, so according to this a haircut would be problematic if done in an isolated place. Of course it all depends on the security situation in any particular locality
2) Possibly the simplest definition of an idol-worshipper is someone who does not believe in the Unity of G-d. Therefore Rabbi Moshe Feinstein ruled (Igros Moshe Orach Chaim 1:50 DH b'Dvar) that even the group of Notzrim who believe the seventh day is holy and do not have idols or images in their places of worship, are nevertheless considered as idol worshippers because of their beliefs and prayers. In addition Rav Ovadia Yosef in Teshuvot Yabia Omer part 2 Yoreh Deah #11 rules that one may not enter such places of worship
3) However there is a Halacha mentioned in Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim #156 that one may not form a partnership with an idol-worshipper because of the possibility that during the course of business this partner may be obliged by the law-court to take an oath. This will mean that the Jew has caused him to make an oath to Avoda Zara. However the Rema there writes that some are lenient on this matter nowadays because the contemporary idol-worshippers do not swear by their idols. Even though they mention their eroneous beliefs, neverthelss what they have in mind is the true Creator of Heaven and Earth, but they merely combine the belief in the true G-d together with their own idol-worship
KOL TUV
Dovid Bloom