Laws of Beard Trimming and Beard Removal

In Torah Law, the key to understanding "beard issues" relates to the specific legal terms used to describe the prohibition(s) and subsequent legal status. For example, one needs to realize and understand the term "patur", as it functions inside of the relevant paragraphs of Jewish Law.

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Questions:

#1- Is one allowed to use a razor on his beard?

ANSWER: NO

#2- Is one allowed to use an electric beard trimmer or regular scissors on his beard?

ANSWER: Yes, but only down to a certain length. See discussion below for details.

#3- Can one trim a mustache?

ANSWER: Yes :: Laws of Idolatry 12,9[8].

In the above text, using a razor on [certain sections of] the beard is clearly termed as "completely destroying" the sections of the beard, which is definitely forbidden - according to Torah Law. In this case, the offending party clearly received 40 Torah lashes for each of the 5 sections of the beard. On the other hand, someone using scissors or an electric razor to "completely remove" the beard does not receive Torah lashes [ie: he is exempt from them]. In effect, this would be using something "like a Razor" - in other words scissors or an electric shaver to shave the hair all the way down to the bare skin (roots). According to Rav QaafiH, someone who used scissors, like a razor, is like someone who ate a pea sized chunk of pork, which is forbidden by Torah, but not punished by Torah lashes - but is instad punished with Rabbinic Lashes. The pork example is something which is forbidden in Torah Law. However, is also excempt from Torah lashes (if pea sized), and thus the offender does not receive Torah Lashes [as clarified by the word פטור]. HOWEVER, we believe he still gets Rabbinic Lashes. This is similar to the case with some method other than (but similar to) a razor.

Please note that so far, we are only speaking about the complete removal of some or all sections of the beard - with either a razor or scissors [being used like a razor]. We were not yet speaking of trimming a beard up to a certain length of height. This subject will be dealt with in a different section.

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THE END

Beard Trimming

Trimming an existing beard with KeE'ein Ta'ar [scissors or shaver] is 100% allowed. However, the length of the beard must be left at a certain length, so as that the hairs may be folded over unto themselves and reach the surface of the face. This is the minimum requirement for the 40 hairs required on the sides of the head - so I will go out on a limb and say that it applies here too.

Regarding the peyoth, Mori notes that there is one responsum by the RMb"M that mentions the forbidden area as about the size of a limb (see directly below). This means the area from which the simanim/peyoth grow:

Shu"t 244.  ופאתי הראש {הן} הצדעים.  ושעור השער, שמניחים בהן, הוא רוחב הצדע והוא יותר דק מן הבוהן. 

This is less than the width of a thumb.  But while that is a very small area, the areas for the beard are 4 big areas that cover the whole beard, in my opinion:  [One Mori says the following about this entire analysis: They all have to be left with a beard.  So I see no particular connection between this and what has to not be shaved off from the BEARD.

The penalties for the Peyoth are the same as for the beard.

The RMb"M -  as opposed to some other Rishonim, does not

make the differentiation between the beard and hair on the head. This is why

he allows their trimming. Other Rishonim (as reflected by the other custom

in Yemen) make a distinction between these two hair entities.

THE RMb"M:

The RMb"M does not designate between the beard and the head. About the head, it says you are not allowed to do it with a razor. About the Peyoth ha Zachan (beard), he is not liable, until he cuts it with a razor.  In both of them, the reason for forbidding has to do with the pagonistic minhogim. Therefore, we got ordered not to do it so we don’t look like the rest of the gentiles. About the peyoth ha zachan (beard), the Torah teaches us not to destroy the peyoth ha zachan—to avoid imitating the idolatrous priests. According to the RMb"M’s sefer ha miswoth, the cutting refers to the cutting around the whole head (surrounding it) =ha kafah. So you wont say that the purpose of the issue is only cutting around the side and leaving the rest like the pagons. But if he cut all of it… you don’t look like them. Therefore, the Torah tells us (specifically) that you cannot cut the sedah (sides) by itself OR all around the head—this is no good. In another place, it says that if you cut them you are breaking 5 laws. That is the Halakha. Also, that is what Gentile priests used to do. This is what you see today in Europe –that they are cutting their beards.

He continues. In Yemen (long ago), their custom was to grow the sideburns and to leave them long and squiggle them--even though the RMb"M wrote in mesahath Tshuvah, “and he is allowed to cut the length of the Peyoth, but not below minimum length, just like the beard, with scissors”. And that’s the way we always do it. [although Mori Yusef’s grandfather Rabbi Yichyah zs”l clearly did grow long Simonim]. We are cutting the side burns with a scissor because the forbidding has to do with a razor. It is Assur MiDeoraita to cut the lenth of the beard of the simanim below the minimum length, but one only gets lashes MiDeoraita if one does this with a razor, otherwise one gets Makar Mardut.  (Side note—there appears to be one opinion that the RMb"M actually did cut his with scissors). And we were not commanded to grow the hair like all the mainstream simple people think. Only the Nazarites were commanded to grow hair. Therefore if he cut his hair, he broke the law. It is not the same with the peyoth. It only says don’t destroy them. You shouldn’t be cutting them with a razor but it doesn’t mean it is a positive commandment to grow them.  The RMb"M was careful with his language… even though he wrote that the command is not to destroy, it looks (according to Rabbinic Law) that it is like a razor. [but this is not what he said]. Because in hilcoth avodah zorah it is permissible to cut with a scissor. What he is saying (his intent is) that it is permissible. It is muttar to cut the length of the beard/simanim, but not so it is below the minimum length (like one used a razor).  But RMb"M meant just for the peyoth with scissors. But to shave your beard you should not do it! There is one word that people translate incorrectly. To CUT with a scissor is different than Scraping with a razor.

SIMONIM (signs)

Even though the oral law and Torah  call it peyoth, in Yemen they called it Simonim because this was the sign that they are Jews-the seeds that G-D blessed to differentiate them from the Gentiles. In Yemen …if you didn’t have them… you are Arabs.

He tells a story: one day, a man was walking by the Arabs. They were chasing and abusing one of the sick dogs. One of the people wanted to make fun of the Jew –“come and see how we are beating up your brother”, they said. The Jew pretended not to hear it. But eventually he said: “But he does not have Peyoth… he is not a Jew”. The Arabs got angry. Are saying he is a Muslim (as Muslims don’t have peyoth either. So they took him to the Islamic court. In the end, the judge said they didn’t insult us. Perhaps he meant other religions.

The Temanim used to put oil in them and make them look like telephone cords. Since the peyoth was very important, they used to swear by touching them with the right hand. He used to say “Doth Moshe” and kiss the simonim. This was a serious swear amongst the children. The Temanim have the mesorah from the time of the Bet ha Mikdash that our ancestors came to Yemen and the end of the first Temple when they heard Jeremiah phrophezising about the destruction. First (they came) to a close area and then later to Yemen. Here, Rav Qafahh shows that Kohanim and Leviim used to have peyoth (long).

This was an insulting (Arabic) term (for Peyoth/Simonim)…but the Jews never took it as an insult. Only one Rabbi that took this as an insult from the Arabs seriously wrote that the Peyoth in Yemen and the curls --were forced upon us by the Goyim. And I don’t how he reached this conclusion. There is no basis for this opinion. And he gives two examples of things that Gentiles translated incorrectly. Do we take these things seriously? For example –the young women who is pregnant (in our scriptures) –refers to the Virgin birth according to the Notzrim. Should we throw this out verse? Many Ashkinazim changed the way the Rosh tefillin is tied because it looked like a cross. But in Yemen, they continued to do it. That is the tie that G=D showed Moshe on Har Sinah. That is the reason that I drew it in order to show the proper way a tie should look like. There is no need to change it and make it so complicated.

According to one source, Western Ashkenazi tradition also ties the knot of the head-tefillin in the same "square-knot", identical to the Temani head-knot.. Eastern Ashkenazim use the "Daleth-knot", like that of the Sepharadim.

HOW TO BRAID THEM:

The simonim: he wets them, pulls them out to their full length (= below his

shoulders = he doesn't cut them), then divides them into two, then twists

them quickly and tightly until they turn into a "tunnel". I guess the thick

black hair that comes with being from the Middle East helps keeping this

"tunnel" intact.