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If a boy has entered Shidduchim must he make an effort to shave a few times a week even if he has no dates just to be seen as freshly shaven? Meaning if you see a boy in the street who has a few days growth of beard (unless it grows very fast by him and or he happens to look particularly badly that way) would it negatively impact your impression of him? Is it really necessary to make this effort?
If he doesn’t, he’s good – there are always always the sweatshirt girls for him to date.
Personally, my opinion is that every guy in shidduchim should have a beard. It enhances ones stature and declares himself a Torah Yid.
I can only speak for myself, but it certainly doesn’t bother me.
I’m a bit bothered by the way you are asking this question in the objective–almost as if there is a right way and a wrong way, and that you think there is a possibility that a guy in shidduchim must be clean shaven or he is violating some inyan in hishtadlus.
I think a man should look clean. I don’t see why he can only look Jewish if he has a beard.
Hair is not dirt.
oom +1!
if he wants to marry a girl who wants a clean-shaven boy
Rule for shidduch that hold fast in all situations: Look and act like the person the other person wants to marry
A beard is the cleanest look. Clean shaven is very feminine and immature.
OneOfMany FTW
akuperma: good advice!
A boy should be well-groomed, whether clean-shaven or not.
I think beard stubble is okay as long as it doesn’t turn into a full grown, long beard cuz that will just make you look five years older than you really are. For a certain age, though, no stubble at all would be better.
All joking aside, WIY – why do you think it is okay for a guy in shidduchim to go less than perfectly groomed (according to the almighty shidduch standards – this does not reflect my personal opinion), but not for a girl to do so?* Don’t you think that’s kind of a double standard?
*(This is of course with the stipulation that the said lapse in grooming (i.e. wearing sweatshirts) entails that the sweatshirts be properly fitted and not marked with symbols, logos, words, or graphics of any kind.)
I agree with Oomis. I would add, so should a man, so should a girl, and so should a woman.
DY, agreed 100%.
Personal hygiene, showering, wearing clean clothes together with acting appropriately (not screaming/ shouting to friends across the street/ not becoming willingly inebriated / not being rude/ careless driving) and acting with a little humility without any ‘iz kumpst tzu mir’ attitude go a lot longer distance than the last time a boy was in contact with Norelco.
Mom18,
Ok, but this wasn’t a competition.
The following is my humble opinion:
Boys and girls should not be doing what “everyone else” says is correct like not wearing sweatshirts or shaving every single day.
Personally, I want to marry a guy who does things according to halacha and once halacha is met he should feel comfortable doing whatever he wants regardless of what “everyone else” says.
We are creating children who are not comfortable in their own skins. A girl who feels horrible about herself because she wants to wear a sweatshirt and chas v’shalom wear her hair curly one day instead of burning her hair to death with an iron. A boy who doesn’t feel like shaving every day and when he is playing basket ball wears a tee shirt. O my goodness people… chill!
Postsemgirl, there have always been social standards in addition to halacha.
Postsemgirl +1
Social standards are good until they become a cause for self doubt when in truth he/she is not doing anything wrong per se.
Postsemgirl +1 from me too
Guess that makes it +2
IMHO a bochur who doesn’t grow a beard should shave either every day or every 2 days (depending how fast/slow the hairs come in. No matter where you are, you must look like a mentch and not with this new mishigas ‘stubble look’ which became quite fashionable and commom today. I think it’s messy, lazy looking, and has hints of the ‘homeless-man’ look. pathetic. A girl is expected to wear makeup and dress ‘put together’, especially when in the parsha, a bochur is expected to do his hishtadlus and shave. Same goes for excercising daily, watching your weight, and getting enough sleep, to name a few.
Not shaving at that stage of life (shidduchim) shows he doesn’t care enough to make a nice impression, is lazy, and is a definite negative in my books.
torah613613torah: Social standards like wearing Juicy sweatshirts? How exactly am I compelled by halacha to follow such “Jewish standards”?
postsemgirl +1
baalhabooze- i’m ‘in the parshah’ but dont wear makeup everyday. Or iron my hair. For me, i see it as having become the equivalent of wearing the latest fashion or designer labels, neither of which i do either. No that doesnt mean i’m a shlump or walk around looking like i just rolled out of bed. And thats where the line gets blurred. Shaving how often, makeup when, sweatshirts… Which is too casual and by whose standards, and which are just part of looking put together.
Nice to see that people agree with me 🙂
shave on friday. unless its chol hamoed. or acc. to some, rosh chodesh.
SaysMe +1
whooo! oom agreed with me! i’m honored!
OOM: Social standards do matter, and I think that the OP has a valid question. Boys just have a different social standard. It’s way more important to me that a boy looks dressed for a date and put together than when he last shaved, and I’m probably not the only girl who thinks that way.
I think social standards are good, for people who wouldn’t keep halacha otherwise.
When OOM disagrees with me, that means I’m a worthy opponent.
must he make an effort to shave a few times a week even if he has no dates just to be seen as freshly shaven?
Yes if he’s a buddhist monk
SaysMe: ^_^
torah613: I agree that social standards can matter. But a lot of times they are taken to an extent where they become stam silly. For example, I agree with the idea that people in shidduchim should make the extra effort to make themselves look presentable. But when you start naming random articles of clothing or hygiene choices and categorically stating that they are “presentable” or “pas nisht,” then you are taking the idea to the silly extreme.
Basically, I think that all things that are “done” should be subject to some scrutiny before they are done.
I think social standards are good, for people who wouldn’t keep halacha otherwise.
Explain?
OOM: People are influenced by people. I might want to wear something but if my friends would look at me in horror, I wouldn’t wear it. This is why communities have standards.
torah613: And if they look at you in horror because you wear green and they prefer only black? Is that considered halachically “good”?
Also, I think that it is very bad to keep halacha only because the people around you are doing it, and not at all a feasible mode of avodas Hashem.
i thinj torah613 is dancing around the concept of minhag hamakom. But it has its limits. As oom used, if they prefer black and u wear green, thats totally fine. But so go sockless in meah she’arim would not be
Okay, so what you’re saying is that your whole piece on sweatshirts is really irrelevant?
Neat beards are fine. Stubble, not so fine, unless it is Sefira or the Three Weeks. Grow a beard or shave, but be well-groomed, no matter what derech you choose for your facial hair.
So what your saying is that what shidduch-age boys consider “presentable” in a girl matters, but not vice versa? Or are you saying that just your opinion matters?
OOM, judging others is never halachically good. I am dancing around the concept because it does have some truth.
WIY: You’re right – I personally wouldn’t care, and I think most girls wouldn’t as well. I just don’t get why you take that for granted and don’t feel the need to show any clemency in return.
torah613: I get minhag hamakom (if that was what you are trying to get at?) and I have no argument with it. I don’t agree that Jewish social standards and minhag hamakom are the same thing.
Also, granted there is some merit to peer pressure, when it influences you to do the right thing – what I am trying to get at here is that social standards aren’t necessarily always directed toward the right thing.
What oomis said. Look presentable. And if you shave daily, PLEASE do not show up for a date with a 5 o’clock shadow.
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