What is the origin of Growing ones beard in Orthodox Circles?
In response to this question posed by ????_??? Regarding beards in the frum community
Although Reb Yoinoson did not answer the question directly he responded to some of the comments on the forum. I added the question and Below are Yoinosons comments.
One of the major outward features characterizing Chasidishe males is the growth of a full beard. A full beard was always considered a distinctive Chasidishe feature. However, the growth of a full beard among Americanized Jews was once considered a rarity. Not that long ago it was accepted as a given that most orthodox Jewish men living in America (I am not that familiar with Israeli custom), especially young men, affiliated with the Litvish or Mitnagdish branches did not wear a full beard. There were always exceptions to this rule, but mostly that was the case. A full beard was always equated with Chasidishkeit.
Lately, there has been a shift in that area. Nowadays, more and more young men affiliated with the Mitnagdish branches of Judaism are growing full beards.
I would think that it has to do with the process of Chasidization of the entire Charedi community. For example, nowadays, more and more Mitnagdish parents in America hold off on sending their children to college, something considered ”extreme” just one generation ago.
I would love to hear from you all your own views on the entire phenomenon of beard wearing, from its Halachic implications to its social factors.
These are Reb Yoinoson Z”l’s comments
Ben Yosef
The maamor - yihyeh kneged hamashkhisim- which appears in the Bavli and the Yerushalmi- a version of the story appears in the Tosefta of Perek alef of Masekhes Brokhos as well- The Minkhas Bikurim on the Tosefta quotes the Rashbo as putting forth the pshat- exactly along the lines you proposed- yihyeh kneged hamashkhisim- that he will grow out his beard - it will be rather long and noticeable- lehotzi milibom shel hamashkhisim- The Chazon Ish says in the Igros- Igerres Kuf Tzadi Khes- that a man ought to allow his beard to grow- short hairs that are recognizable so that it is called -zekono megudol- veyaligu olov velo yevosh mipnei hamaligim veoz yoid sheshulkhono godol mishelohem- Perhaps- this Rashbo is the mokor for the gishah of the Chazon Ish to the inyon- al derekh lehotzi milibom
Aryeh Shaag and Maimuni
It seems that the campaign of recent years in favor of growing beards in the -yeshivishe velt- is not necessarily motivated primarily by strictly halakhic considerations- The Chazon Ish was one of the main spokesmen in favor of this change- In Igeres -Kuf Tzadi Zayin - in Igros Chazon Ish- kheylek alef-the
Chazon Ish says- concening the question of shaving the beard by means of -sam- (powder)- he does not find any clear halakhic problem -but he finds it objectionable because- eino mimidas hatzenius veeyn zeh levush yisroel rak lomdu mehagoyyim begolah, vesholelim bozeh kedushoh- so it seems that the Chazon Ish wanted men to grow their beards because it’s an inyon of levush yisroel and he viewed the acceptance of the clean-shaven look in our time as a kind of caving in to modern trends - he was advocatin that men grow beards as a kind of hakhzaras haatoroh leyoshnoh- BTW- It is known that R. Y. Hutner very much encouraged his married American students to let their beards grow- for reasons of levush Yisroel, not halakhic considerations
Gam Vegam
The Radak asks on the posuk- Vayomer hamelekh shevu beyereikho- why couldn’t Dovid Hamelekh give them a simple eitzoh which would not have required the men to hide out in Yerikho- he could have advised them to shave off the remaining half of their beards so they would not need to go around looking like fools with half a beard- the Radak answers that
beetzem, it’s a bizoyon for a man to be clean shaven so that would be no eitzo- the Radak states the umos among whom we live are noheg to be megaleakh zekonom but their minhog is not emmesdik, and beemmes, it’s a bizoyon for a man to be a megulokh- ———–Veayen shom
Kunilemel7
The igeres you are referring to is -Kuf Tzadi Khes- benogea to that igeres, there is a note on the bottom of the page saying that it refers to a shayloh concerning a certain mekhonas giluakh- in that igeres , the Chazon Ish does , in fact preface his remarks by saying- bihyosi murgol beisuro bedor hakodum- However, in the previous Igeres- concerning which therer
is a note at the bottom of the page saying that the shayloh was about -sam- the Chazon Ish does indeed begin by saying- meod koshe olai hadovor- which seems to mean that his objection is somewhat personal- but he goes on to say quite straightforwardly- ein zeh mimidas hatzeniyus veeyn zeh levush yisroel- as if to say that’s just the way it is- and this in reference to sam where it is difficult to point to any halakhadike shaylos-In general, I think the Chazon Ish puts the matter in personal terms- koshe olai hadovor-,- bihyosi murgol beissuro medor hakodum etc.- because he is not willing to say that there is a halakhic problem, he can’t say that it’s ossur- but he holds beemess that -giluakh hazokon iz nisht keyn yiddishe zakh
Ben Yosef-
Sorry- Toisi- I see you already cited the pshat I mentioned- I see you quoted it from the meforshei haYerushalmi- Veitkho haslikho
Yashran-
I don’t know the answer to your question: What is the mokor for the idea that a beard is part of the tzurat Yehudi? I would just like to point to a mokor that might be of some relevance.
In Masechet Baba Metzia- Peh Dalet- Amud Alef- the Gemara poses the question: Since we know that R. Yochanan was known to possess great physical beauty, why was his name not included in the list (cited previously by the Gemara) of beautiful men?
The Gemara answers that R. Yochanan did not have -hadrat panim.- Rashi says this means that R. Yochanan did not have a beard.
Yashran-
Also, see the Radak on Sefer Shmuel I cited on pg. 4 of the eshkol- Bepashtut, it seems that the Radak is stating that growing a beard for a man is chashuv mitzad esthetic considerations.
Yashran-
You say -hadar shoneh miyofi-
What is the difference? What is -hadar- and what is -yofi?
Yashran-
Earlier on the same amud in Baba Metzia, the Gemara gives an account of the first meeting between R. Yochanan and Resh Lakish. At this time, Resh Lakish was the leader of a band of brigands. R. Yochanan saw R. Lakish leap over the Yarden and he called out to him- Cheilach leOraita- May your strength be given over to Torah study.
Resh Lakish replied- Shufrach lenashi- May your beauty be given to women. R. Yochanan responded by telling R. Lakish that he (R. Yochanan) has a sister who is even more beautiful than he. He promised R. Lakish his sister’s hand in marriage if R. Lakish would betake himself to Torah study. R. Lakish agreed and he went on to marry R. Yochanan’s sister and to become a talmid-chaver with R. Yochanan.
Since R. Lakish compared R. Yochanan’s beauty to the beauty of women and R. Yochanan replied by referring to the beauty of his sister- it seems that the reference here is to physical beauty and attractiveness, what is known as -Yofi-.
I don’t know how this fits in with the subsequent discussion of- hadrat panim- and beards.
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