koton

jphone:

He was both interviewed & hired by a goyshe company. They respected his being straight & honest with them, upfront with early Friday, erev yom tov, etc.

I was giving a shiur about how a yid has to be in control of himself 24 hours a day, I was challeged – I was a heavy smoker 20 hour a day, six days a week, for 30 years. I was actually smoking at that moment.

I put it out and never lite up again, that was three years ago.

Yes, I still miss smoking but – every yid must be in control of himself!

So you have a choice two out of three work, online or learn! Better ask daas Torah which two you should do.

I suggest everyone on YW learns one hour extra on every day they go on line. Or do it minute for minute, each minute on line means another minute learning.

Why is Mama Rochel Crying?!

Originally, when our Matriarch Rochel visited her children in exile, she saw them adorned with the Tzelem Elokim [image of G-d — the beard] [Jewish likeness, which enables us to be recognized as Jews].

She did not fear, because she knew that there was hope for their redemption.

[since many have] cut off their beards….

Kehilas Yaakov, Rabbi Shlomo Kluger, Aseres Yemei Teshuva, pp. 306-607.

GingerKale-are there any poskim who hold it is ok to shave?

Another example from

Rav and Rosh Yeshiva of SLABODKA

…Every Jew should think about this and have pity on his children only when they walk in the paths of Hashem, when they are similar in their appearance to their parents, keeping Shabbos and . But not to those who are not at all similar in their appearance to the Jewish people, for they have become distant and have garbed themselves in a different style, desecrating Shabbos and … Their appearance is not similar to the Jewish people, for they have removed from themselves the (Divine image).

Levush Mordechai, Bava Kamma p.7

*

[Epstein, Rosh Yeshiva of Slabodka-Chevron]
Shaalos Uteshuvos P’as Sod’cha, section 101

Sweib91, it is difficult to understand as Rav Kamenetsky wrote as follows in Emes l’yacov Yoreh Deah 181

…Regarding [the prohibition of using] machines for shaving [the beard], this

is not just a Chumra [Halachic strictness] but a substantive [Halachic] issue,

and residents of Bnei Brak are certainly obligated to follow the ruling of the

local Halachic authorities (Poskim) [who prohibit using shavers].

In fact, I do not know whether the great Torah authorities (Gedolim) of

America [ever] explicitly permitted them; it is possible that they kept silent

because no one asked them [their opinion], and they avoided the issue,

knowing that their words would not be heeded.

As for [any leniency] that has become accepted in past generations, it is

a fact that over time there have been many improvements in the machines,

and it is possible that, as a result of these improvements, shaving with them

has become prohibited [even according to the reasoning offered for that

leniency].Accordingly, in this case, it is difficult to rely on [any] tradition [to

be lenient]…*

* Indeed, this is how [Rabbonim] should rule, that it is not just Halachic

strictness, and if a young man wishes to be scrupulous not to use any shaving

machine, his parents should not object to this and say that [their son] is just

trying to find [superfluous] Halachic stringencies.

When the disease of cutting the beard spread among students of

the [Litvishe] Yeshivos, the well-known Gaon, Rabbi Eliezer Gordon

[Rov and Rosh Yeshiva of Telz], of blessed memory, adopted the

most stringent measures [to stop it].

When he saw that they persisted in their defiance, he mobilized

[Rov of Pinsk-Karlin], the venerable Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Meisel

[Rov of Lodz, Poland], and the mighty Gaonim Rabbi Chaim HaLevi

[Soloveitchik, Rov of Brisk], and Rabbi Chaim Ozer [Grodzenski,

Rov of Vilna]
He demanded that they place a prohibition on Rabbonim

against granting them [students who cut their beards] Rabbinic

ordination [Semicha], on Shochtim against teaching them the skill

of ritual slaughtering [Shechita], and on Jewish communities against

employing them in any religious position.

Kovetz Yagdil Torah 7:5

Regarding the Cutting and Growth of the Beard

by HaGaon Rabbi Chayim Kanievsky, shlita

(Son of the Steipler Gaon)

excerpted from his sefer Orchos Yosher (p.19)

[With this our

having this [a beard]
is only in recent generations that some have started to treat this irreverently, having learned this from the non-Jews.

[non-Jewish]
quoted by the Chofetz Chayim in his Sefer Hamitzvos Hakotzer (Prohibitions 177).

Our teacher the Chazon Ish was highly displeased with this practice. His displeasure was not only with

permit selling one even to a Jew who shaves with a razor in order to save him from the prohibition of using a razor, but

instructed [the inquirer] to sell it to a non-Jew.

My father and teacher [Rabbi Yaakov Yisroel Kanievsky, the Steipler Gaon], of blessed memory, was also

very strict about this, saying it is very likely that [a shaving machine] is considered literally a razor, so that

one transgresses five prohibitions for using it.

electric shaver, refer to Likkutei Halochos on tractate Makkos by the Chofetz Chayim, p.14b in Ein Mishpot there, where

he writes that it is forbidden and that one should not be lenient in this. It is also known that the Chazon Ish, of blessed

[In addition, the Chazon Ish] was highly displeased even with those who

[chemical].

care not to cut the beard even with scissors, for the Kabbalists write that thereby one uproots the channels of [the flow of]

Kedusha from Above. Our fathers and ancestors in our land were accustomed to observing this strictly. Especially today

when many of the lawless elements of our nation have the practice of shaving with a razor, it is a great Mitzva for the

whole Jewish people to reinforce this observance and not to trim the beard even with scissors, thereby showing everyone

that the commandments the Torah has given us to distinguish the Jewish man [from the non-Jew] are precious to us and

[depilatory cream]
[poison] [lifegiving potion] either, and I find this matter very painful,

for it is against the [Jewish] quality of modesty and is not the Jewish style of dress but [Jews] have learned it from the non-

of those who remove their beards [with scissors] similar to [the effect of] a razor [close cutting], for I am accustomed to

this being prohibited since the previous generations, and [the prohibition]

this sickness has spread even among Torah scholars, may they be well, the issue has not changed as a result of this, and

Will You Heed the Call of the Gedolim?

AN URGENT PROCLAMATION from the Leading Sages of our generation

THE SEVERE BREACH OF HALACHA INVOLVED IN THE USE OF SHAVING MACHINES is well known to all. Their use was prohibited by our Rabbis, the gedolim of the [previous] generation, including the Chafetz Chayim and the Chazon Ish. Moreover, this [prohibition applied] even to the shavers of many years ago [when the shavers were far more primitive and did not cut hair as close to the skin as modern shavers]. Today, the shavers have been enhanced [and cut much closer to the skin] and thus the halachic issues involved are far more severe. This was the halachic ruling of also our great teacher, [the Steipler Gaon, R. Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky] [as a razor], as is evident from Makkos 21a and Rambam, Hilchos Avodas Kochavim, ch. 12.

IT IS THUS OBVIOUSLY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL THE ROSHEI YESHIVOS [heads of the yeshivos] to confront this issue and not allow shavers that leave the face smooth to be brought in [to the yeshivos]. This prohibition applies both to the one who shaves and the one who is shaven.

IT IS A GREAT MITZVAH TO STUDY THE SEFER TIFERES ADAM, authored by the Chafetz Chayim, zatzal, that focuses on strengthening the observance of this prohibition and explains the reward received in both this world and the next for its practice.

[signed by:]

[wrote about this halachic principle] and it was thus obvious to him that [shaving machines]
R. Yosef Shalom Eliashiv

R. Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman. R. Shmuel HaLevi Wosner. R. Michal Yehudah Lefkovitz. R. Nissim Karelitz. R. Chayim Kanievsky.

Have a look at http://www.koshershaver.info/ it is a different site to the one given by papper and is well worth reading.