[Avodah] long hair and tefillin

[Rael Levinsohn]

Hi,

There is an issue raised by the poskim that having long hair is a
chatizah with regards to tefillin.

See the following secondary sources:

Notes on the Mishna Berura by R'Yosef Rimon:
http://vbm-torah.org/archive/mb/15mb.htm

The Weekly Halacha by R'Daniel Neustadt:
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=0XGwWdV8ZQsC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=long+hair+and+tefillin&source=web&ots=WfpmVAwF2u&sig=UI6UkOkTr3YYa2vc2aALypxAhcU&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result

Lettings ones hair grow long a shiur by R'Aharon Lichtenstein:
http://vbm-torah.org/archive/halak59/02hair.doc

Shiur by R'Eytan Weisberg
http://www.torahmitzion.org/eng/resources/show.asp?id=735

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A couple of questions:

1) What about the issue of the nazir, surely he had long hair and yet
had to put on tefillin? Asides from the nazir, was it not common in
biblical times to have long hair and in more contemporary times rabbis
like the Rogachover Gaon and the Chatam Sofer had long hair?
2) In halacha everything has a "shiur", has anyone seen any
measurements of what is considered long hair?

My understanding:

My understanding is that the issue being spoken of is a comb over,
where the hair from the back of the head (ie hair that is growing from
a position that you cannot place the tefillin shel rosh is pulled to
the front). I would assume it is not an issue if the hair is long in
the front, provided that the hair is from a position where you can
place tefillin. Eg this picture:
http://images.buycostumes.com/mgen/merchandiser/10750.jpg would be an
example of a chatzitzah case

Looking forward to peoples comments. I have been reading as a lurker
for a long time, you people are fantastic, keep up the great work!

Regards,

Rael