Following is the Daas Torah of Maran HaGaon Rav Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman zt’l Regarding GROWING A BEARD
Emulate Other Bochurim or Disregard Them?
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Maran HaRav Shteinman was recently asked by a number of yeshiva bochurim: “The rest of the bochurim in my yeshiva do not grow their beards. Should I follow their example or not?”
To each of them he replied that they should disregard their colleagues’ conduct.
• To one bochur he quoted the Mishna in Ediyos (5:6): “Better to be called a shoteh your entire life than to be a rasha even once.”
• To another he responded even more sharply: “If everyone around you is eating chazir, is that a reason for you to eat it as well?!”
• To a third he said: “No one ever lost anything from growing a beard!”
Maran HaRav Shteinman was once approached by a bochur who followed the opinion of the Mechaber, that one may cut his hair between Lag Ba’Omer and Shavuos. “Most of the bochurim in my yeshiva do not cut their hair until the yemei hagbalah,” he said. “Since I follow the Mechaber’s opinion, may I shave my beard before that time?”
“Any method you use to shave your beard will be problematic,” Maran HaRav Shteinman replied. “Using an electric shaver may involve an issur de’oraysa. Even using shaving cream is not acceptable, as some say this involves the issur of lo yilbash.”
Some claim that growing a beard demonstrates arrogance, as if he thinks he is perfect.
“It is still better to grow a beard,” Maran HaRav Shteinman once commented. “This will protect a person spiritually to a certain extent.”
Maran HaRav Shteinman further remarked: “The reason it was once common for yeshiva bochurim to shave is because the issur involved was not widely known.”
פרי חיים ממרן הרב שטיינמן , שופר ארגון להפצת יהדות, צוות שופר גנזי המלך, כו תמוז תשע”ב