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is it mutar?
not under normal circumstances..
(If u were released from prison, or got up from aveilos, seek your L.O.R.)
That might depend if you work and what kind of work that you do. If it will affect the outcome of your work and your clients then it may be mutar, you have to ask your Rav. For instance, if you are an attorney and you have to go to court. If not shaving would be considered chutzpah to the Judge and it would effect the outcome of the verdict and you can not risk the client’s verdict. If you would lose a client because of your appearance that would be an issue as well. If you would risk your job because of a dress code, that would be another criteria. If however you work in a frum office, I doubt you would get a heter to shave.
About 15 years ago, I had a job where ” neat appearance” was part of the company dress code and which was enforced “kichut hasayray – I remember a manager using a tape measure on a womans skirt to see if it met the “no more than 2 inches above the knee policy. This included being either clean shaven or a neatly trimmed beard. When I was hired and was given the employee handbook review by HR, I mentioned Chol Hamoed, sefira and the three weeks to them and they gave me a “hetter” to ignore the handbook (I got it in writing, although I never asked for it, HR sent me the confirming memo on their own). A few years later, during sefira, my manager (a non jew)approached me and told me about an upcoming sales show where I would be presenting something and it would be extremely important if I gave off a proper impression, including appearance. He asked me to speak to my Rabbi about the permissibility to shave.
You should be asking this to your Rav, not to anonymous strangers on the internet.
I used to work for a hospital, and the rule was no beards, shaving every day, etc. I went to my boss (who was not Jewish) and explained about sefira. He told me I didn’t have to shave, and if anyone gave me a problem I should tell them to see him. During the three years I was there, I never had to shave during sefira, the three weeks, or chol hamoed.
Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik was matir lechatchila for those who shave every day as is Rav Aharon Lichtenstein. Rabbeinu tam was matir but most rishonim disagree.
Reb Moshe writes that one who shaves a few times a week is allowed on Chol Hamoed, certainly for business, and even just to look nice.
The reasoning is simple. Chazal only forbid shaving on chol hamoed so that people would shave before yontof and look nice. Otherwise they would put it off until Chol Hamoed and enter yontof as menuvalin.
But since today, even when one shaves before yontof, he will still need to shave again afterwards, it is OK, as he always shaves a few times a week. Chazal did not make the takana so that people would look shlumpy, they did it so they would look nice.
This is one of the most famous and bitterly fought halachic controversies in the last three hundred years. For a comprehensive analysis of this issue, see Moshe Samet, “Hachadash Assur Min Hatotah”, pages 93-156.
Pashuta Yid, finally somebody got it right. Chol Hamoed is not sefira or the 3 weeks. It’s a time of simcha, yomtov. Chazal wanted us to look nice and as was said, the concept of not shaving during chol hamoed is so that you don’t push it off and go into yomtov looking like a slob. Obviously you’ll rarely get a hetter from a chasidic rabbinical source. The Soloveitchik brothers, although great talmidei chachomim, were not chasidic, as Rav Moshe wasn’t either. But it should be noted who their oilam is. They weren’t talking to chasidim.
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