Folding the Beard

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May one fold his beard if it is long?[1]

From the letter of the law there is no prohibition against folding the beard. Nevertheless, it is improper to fold the beard, even if it is very long and makes one look disorderly in his eyes. Even if this leads to one’s ridicule by others one should not pay attention to their ridicule. One is to leave the beard to grow in its natural G-d given state.[2] 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, even though they care careful not to cut it, are denying G-d’s gift and are hence doing something improper.[3] 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.[4]

[1] Torah Leshma [of Ben Ish Chaiy] 447; Rebbe Rashab in Toras Shalom p. 94 [Hebrew]; Hadarta Panim Zakein pp. 302; 522

[2] Rebbe Rashab ibid

[3] Ben Ish Chaiy ibid

[4] Rebbe Rashab ibid

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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