Reply To: “Headlines” Indian hair episode: is it biased or activist?

T2t, and anyone else who would rather read a summary than go through what I did, I’ll try to capture it.

There are three disputed points.

• whether most of our hair comes from Indian tansurs (hair cutting as a preparation to visiting their deity)
• whether the practice of tansuring is a religious rite or merely a means of self perfection (and what about if the religious leaders understand one while practitioners understand it another way)
• whether their intention constitutes Avoda Zara and/or Takroves

The Matirim say that only a small portion of world exports of hair is from the tansurs, and that it is not a religious expression but rather an expression of ridding oneself of his ego.

The Osrim say that a significant amount of hair is from the tansurs and that the hair is given up for the sake of a deity. Additionally, they say, that doing so constitutes Takrovess Avoda Zara.