How does one trim or maintain a traditional Jewish beard? Help?

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

I understand peyot rules, I have some peyot.  I am looking for the traditional look in addition to fulfilling the mitzvah.

Here is my situation:  I have about 6 or more months of untrimmed beard growth.  I am not sure how to give my beard a haircut to give it a less wild look, perhaps more shaved.  It sticks out on all sides like rays of the sun, so my roommate says.  I have tried looking for a tutorial online, but no luck.  Should I just look for a Jewish barber?  Or should I just let it be?

[muman613]

I do not know any Halacha concerning beard length...

I let mine grow long sometimes, but usually only about 2-3 inches in length..

http://forums.globalyeshiva.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/270107363/m/9581024652
http://www.revach.net/article.php?id=3302
http://www.chayas.com/peyoth.htm

Peyoth  --Translation of Mori Qafahh zs"l.

In the Torah it says do not destroy (shave) around the sides of the head (referred to as Blorit in the Mishnah Torah—like the Idol worshippers who only left hair in the center of the head). Also… we are not allowed to destroy the edges of our beard (the hair on the front of our faces from ear to ear according to Mishnah Torah).

Do not cut off the corners of your heads.

We have 5 peyoth. Even though the Mishnah was very careful to say about the surrounding hair… it refers to destroying--the Rishonim designated between these two miswoth.

THE RISHONIM:

On the Peyoth ha zachan (beard) you are not liable for lashes d’oraitha. Only if you did it with a razor. But peyoth ha Rosh, even if you cut them without a razor, you must get lashes.

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 (but it is still Assur MiDeoraita), 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 halacha. 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 Mutar 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).

Zenaneer (Arabic for “rope”)

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.
In the end, he shows two Kohanim that have long peyoth. See last page in www.chayas.com/simonim.tif for pictures…

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.

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

That was really interesting.  I think I have all the Halakach covered with what I have going now. 

I noticed a typo in my post above, I typed "shaved" instead of "shaped".  My roommate and a few of my friends have been hinting I should do something with my beard, although I don't see why exactly ["shaping it" is the suggestion], I think I will just keep it as it is because I like how it is [I can't see it as well as others, my viewing is limited to a mirror obviously]. 

I might look to see if I can find a Jewish barber in my area who knows Halakach and how people keep beards.  Maybe I am just being overly Self-conscious.  When I am at Chabad beards often look similar to mine, or much larger, maybe I will ask a Chabadim next time I go to their Shul.

I'm sort of curious how long I can grow a beard.

[New Yorker]

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-ER224S-Cordless-Trimmer-Silver/dp/B000F4USF8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1274938401&sr=1-3

Problem solved. Next! 

Personally I can't stand facial hair on myself, tried to grow a goatee once, drove me crazy, besides, I'm much too pretty to have my face covered in a beard. 

[muman613]

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-ER224S-Cordless-Trimmer-Silver/dp/B000F4USF8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1274938401&sr=1-3

Problem solved. Next! 

Personally I can't stand facial hair on myself, tried to grow a goatee once, drove me crazy, besides, I'm much too pretty to have my face covered in a beard. 

Your entitled to do as you wish... But a Jew is proud of his beard and there is a tradition to let them grow to a certain length.

I tell the story about my three beards... So far in my life I had three beards, each of the beards I shaved off at a certain stage in my life. Of course my third beard I still have...

My first beard I grew when I left my mothers house and went to college. I had a beard and they called me a nickname, Papa Smurf, because my beard was so fluffy... I shaved that beard when I returned to live with my father in California, but eventually I grew my second beard. The second beard I call my "Grateful Dead" beard. I was told I looked a little like Jerry Garcia from the band the Grateful Dead. I had this beard for almost 10 years before I shaved it. I was looking for a job at the time and wanted to look clean cut, so I shaved it.. I still have some pictures from that time, about 2003... I got the job and it was in 2003 I finally did my teshuva and found a minyan which accepted me, and I got more involved with the Rabbi and Shabbat and Yom Tov services... It was then I finally grew the "Jewish" beard... I have this beard to this day, I have not shaved my face for seven years now...

[New Yorker]

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-ER224S-Cordless-Trimmer-Silver/dp/B000F4USF8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1274938401&sr=1-3

Problem solved. Next! 

Personally I can't stand facial hair on myself, tried to grow a goatee once, drove me crazy, besides, I'm much too pretty to have my face covered in a beard. 

Your entitled to do as you wish... But a Jew is proud of his beard and there is a tradition to let them grow to a certain length.

I tell the story about my three beards... So far in my life I had three beards, each of the beards I shaved off at a certain stage in my life. Of course my third beard I still have...

My first beard I grew when I left my mothers house and went to college. I had a beard and they called me a nickname, Papa Smurf, because my beard was so fluffy... I shaved that beard when I returned to live with my father in California, but eventually I grew my second beard. The second beard I call my "Grateful Dead" beard. I was told I looked a little like Jerry Garcia from the band the Grateful Dead. I had this beard for almost 10 years before I shaved it. I was looking for a job at the time and wanted to look clean cut, so I shaved it.. I still have some pictures from that time, about 2003... I got the job and it was in 2003 I finally did my teshuva and found a minyan which accepted me, and I got more involved with the Rabbi and Shabbat and Yom Tov services... It was then I finally grew the "Jewish" beard... I have this beard to this day, I have not shaved my face for seven years now...

So help Ariel out with beard grooming tips, you must be a pro by now! 

[muman613]

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-ER224S-Cordless-Trimmer-Silver/dp/B000F4USF8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1274938401&sr=1-3

Problem solved. Next! 

Personally I can't stand facial hair on myself, tried to grow a goatee once, drove me crazy, besides, I'm much too pretty to have my face covered in a beard. 

Your entitled to do as you wish... But a Jew is proud of his beard and there is a tradition to let them grow to a certain length.

I tell the story about my three beards... So far in my life I had three beards, each of the beards I shaved off at a certain stage in my life. Of course my third beard I still have...

My first beard I grew when I left my mothers house and went to college. I had a beard and they called me a nickname, Papa Smurf, because my beard was so fluffy... I shaved that beard when I returned to live with my father in California, but eventually I grew my second beard. The second beard I call my "Grateful Dead" beard. I was told I looked a little like Jerry Garcia from the band the Grateful Dead. I had this beard for almost 10 years before I shaved it. I was looking for a job at the time and wanted to look clean cut, so I shaved it.. I still have some pictures from that time, about 2003... I got the job and it was in 2003 I finally did my teshuva and found a minyan which accepted me, and I got more involved with the Rabbi and Shabbat and Yom Tov services... It was then I finally grew the "Jewish" beard... I have this beard to this day, I have not shaved my face for seven years now...

So help Ariel out with beard grooming tips, you must be a pro by now! 

As I said originally I do not know the Halachas, I posted some links which discuss this topic.

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-ER224S-Cordless-Trimmer-Silver/dp/B000F4USF8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1274938401&sr=1-3

Problem solved. Next! 

Personally I can't stand facial hair on myself, tried to grow a goatee once, drove me crazy, besides, I'm much too pretty to have my face covered in a beard. 

A lion does not shave his mane!