3438 —מנהג הספרדים של אפשערעניש במירון וגיל התספורת הראשונה

B"H, 3 Iyar, 5715.

Brooklyn.

Havavach iy"a nu"n Malekhet Malekhet Shamayim Moreinu HaRav Yechamiel Alperovitz

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In response to your question regarding the custom of cutting a boy's hair (upsherin) at three years old and bringing the child to Meron: This custom is mentioned in several Sephardic books and their homiletic works, with many special discourses dedicated to this celebration called 'Chalakha.' It is also briefly brought in Pri Etz Chaim, Sha'ar Sefirat HaOmer chapter 7, that the Arizal went there to cut his son's hair with a feast and joy in those days. See also Be'er Heitev and Shaarei Teshuvah Orach Chaim 531:2.

It appears that one should not cut the hair before the child completes three years; therefore, your question regarding your son is also resolved. For your information, it seems that in some places Sephardim do this at four years old—but we have heard from my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe zatzal, to do it upon completing three years… In printed Chassidic texts you can find similarly in Mahari"d section I end s.v. 'the custom to cut a boy's hair at three years.'

To delay the haircut for several months just to do it on Lag BaOmer in Meron—if this is indeed the custom of Eretz HaKodesh (the Holy Land), then 'custom overrides,' etc. But if not, I do not think such a lengthy delay is appropriate for the matter of 'training him in the mitzvah of leaving peyot (side locks)' (see Shaarei Teshuvah there).

With blessing.

Summary

The Rebbe explains that while some communities delay a child's first haircut until age four or until Lag BaOmer at Meron, Chabad tradition follows age three based on earlier sources and teachings. The main focus is on beginning mitzvah education by leaving peyot as soon as possible.