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Excellence – Google “The Beard in Jewish Law” to see the booklet. It’s on a Web site whose first word is Israel and whose second word is the number of commandments in the Torah.
“The idea is not to have a long beard, its not to cut the beard.”
Well, not quite – at least according to Chabad-Lubavitch philosophy.
According to a certain Web site that has the same name as the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch,
The length of a beard is a G-d given gift, as it represents the abundance of Divine revelation that the person receives from the level of Dikna, and hence the longer the beard the more of a blessing it is from G-d. Therefore, those that fold the beard [to make it seem shorter] [Rebbe Rashab in Toras Shalom p. 94 (Hebrew)].
Leaving the beard in its natural state despite the ridicule brings a person the revelation of the inner part of his soul. Folding the beard due to so called holy intentions [of being of acceptable appearance to others] is an act of self denial and opposes G-dliness.
The subject of this thread reminds me of the Yiddish saying I heard when growing up:”De leinger de bord de groiser the ganif.” For those who don’t undertsand yiddish: “The longer the beard the bigger the thief” Anyone else recall that saying?
Since everyone here is a great expert on the importance of beards, I have to ask: I was thinking of trimming my beard for shabbat. Should I do it myself or go to the barber. Sources in sforim would be appreciated 🙂
Flatbusher
My mother said it in English translation. The longer the beard the greater the thief!
My father’s side was Litvish….I never heard that expression used by them.
BTW, I’m more than 60 years old, and heard this the first time more than 60 years ago.
mik5: The idea that long hair can be Chotzetz Bifnei Tefilin is a minority opinion and a very diffeicult one to understand, as evidenced by a Nazir.
Sam2: The period that one is a Nazarite is 30 days, right?
mik5: Any time between 30 days and forever.
The Rogatchover Gaon, zatzal, had long hair, and there are different reasons given for this (e.g., he didn’t want to remove his yarmulke in order to get a full haircut, and/or other reasons).
However, there are numerous poskim [e.g., because one will look like a goy (in addition, it is forbidden for a man to have long hair because it makes him look like a woman)].
See RAMBAM HILCHOT AVODA ZARA, CH 11:1. SEE ALSO
SHULCHAN ARUCH YORE DEAH, SIMAN 178.
Even if a person wears Jewish clothing, if his hair is long he transgresses a prohibition of the Torah (!) (SHEELOT UTSHUVOT DIVRE CHAYIM 1, YORE DEAH, SIMAN
30)
The Pri Megadim 27, the Chasam Sofer, the Machatzis Hashekel (27:4), the Kitzur S”A (10:6), the Mishna Berura 27:15, the Ben Ish Chai (Parshas Chayei Sara), and a good number of other poskim mention the fact that long hair (or certain kinds of long hair) prevents the fulfillment of the biblical commandment of donning the tefillin shel rosh.
See Mishna Berura (27:15) that, in addition to problems of chatzitza, a lot of hair can prevent the tefillin from being secured in the right place. Apparently, the Chofetz Chaim means that the tefillin are supposed to be on the head, which may be accomplished even if there is hair in between. It is not supposed to be sitting on a clump of hair, which happens to be supported by the head.
According to kabbalah, a man should keep the hair of his head short (see Writings of the Arizal, Ta’amei Hamitzvot, parashat Kedoshim).
About cutting excess hair – see Zohar, parashat Tazria, page 48b.
See also http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/shave-head.
ItcheSrulik – According to many (obviously, not all) poskim, it is forbidden for a man to trim, cut, or otherwise abuse his beard in any way.
Hmmm…
Igros Kodesh of the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Vol. 10, page 413:
[as a wife] to defile her, Heaven forbid.
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