Seeking the Fullest Level of Beauty

Gemara: The amount of lime [that needs to be carried in the public domain in order to desecrate Shabbat] is enough to apply to the small finger of girls.



Ein Ayah: Beauty is a form of shleimut, and when something is missing from the matter, a small amount can make a big difference. One of the methods used by females in beautification is to apply lime [to remove hair]. Those who take the matter seriously may make sure that even their small finger has lime applied to it so that it not be left unbeautified. Since it can make even a small difference, the amount of lime used for a small finger was chosen as the amount whose carrying is of significance. Specifically, it follows the finger of a girl, because beauty applies to girls, and they are in the habit of taking artificial steps to get to a point of shleimut. This is similar to the realm of natural beauty, which also has to be complete.