let me explain, in case i wasn’t clear. the fact that i am not scholarly enough to hand down a psak on the issue does not mean i am an ignoramous. there is ample evidence that many consider the practice of “not touching the beard” to be an issue rooted in halacha, not merely an issue of conflicting minhagim. the reason i quoted the minchas eluzar is because he is one of the most recent mekoros of a halachic discourse of the issue, and indeed some factions of klal yisroel quote him as a source that trimming ones beard at all is an absolute issur, and not a minhag at all.
the reason i quoted the chafetz chaims letter is because he also in his letter treats it as a halachic issue. however, he does not paskin on the issue, he merely stresses that those who choose to follow the psak that permits beard trimming are doing so to indulge in a detestable habit. again, he treats it as a halachic issue, NOT an issue of minhag or divrei kabala.
therefore, even though you or someone else might come from a community where the accepted psak, and thus your mesorah, is to trim the beard, and therefore FOR YOU it would only be a chumra or minhag to take upon yourself to not do so, that may not be true for someone else.
so to write on a public forum the words “When you talk about people “who wouldn’t touch their beards” i.e. not even to shorten with a scissors, that is not a Halachic issue, but one based on Minhag and Kabballah.” is in fact FALSE. this is because you do not know who might be reading your post, and even if it is true for some members of klal yisroel, for others this is indeed a HALACHIC ISSUE of serious import, for which they might need to consult a qualified rav.
incidentally, the shailos utshevos of the minchas eluzar, and the shailos utshevos of those he quotes and rebuffs, absolutely definitely positively completely fall within the realm of halacha seforim. the minchas eluzar was not writing for his or our amusement, and he felt that trimming ones beard at all is a serious issur, and that brings it into the arena of modern-day halacha.
just for reference, an issue of minhag for example might be using olive oil to light ner shabbos instead of wax. the reason it is an issue of minhag as opposed to halacha is because it the poskim have clearly been machria that one may suffice to use wax. thus, the issue of olive oil instead of wax can be called an issue of minhagim. the ramifications of this are many, among them might be that if you grew up in a household using olive oil, or you did so yourself, but then you want to change, it may be possible to do so merely by being matir neder (THIS IS NOT A PSAK, I AM NOT A POSEK) however, if you are part of a community that believes that trimming the beard is an issur, it may be much more complicated to change your derech, as you are now changing your halachic mesorah. this doesn’t mean it cant be done. i am just trying to demonstrate what it means when an issue is halachic in nature as opposed to one rooted in minhag.
i cannot discuss halacha midivrei kaballah, as that is another issue entirely, and btw is not given enough respect i think by many, as it in fact is a very serious issue.
^_^ hope i made myself clear!