Torah and Jewish Idea > Torah and Jewish Idea
On clothing, "peyos" and language.
muman613:
I find this article explains the issue in a historical perspective...
Ask the Rabbi: A hairy issue
By SHLOMO BRODY, Jerusalem Post
Q Why do some hassidic Jewish males curl hair around their ears and refrain from cutting it (pe'ot or peyos)?
- Meïr Villegas Henríquez, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
A While pe'ot, curls of hair in the "sideburn" area around the ears, certainly appear beyond the hassidic community, they do not currently command universal observance, even within the Orthodox community. Many view them with a sense of ambivalence, treating them on the one hand as a sign of marked Jewishness, while at the same time as an aberration from the norm. This ambivalence, in fact, reflects this custom's long history that weaves together Halacha, self-identity and social realities.
The Torah commands, "You shall not round off the side-growth (pe'ot) on your head, or destroy the side-growth of your beard" (Leviticus 19:27). This short verse amazingly encompasses the history of Jewish facial shaving. The rabbis understood the latter part of the verse to prohibit shaving with a blade (which shears and utterly destroys the hair), leaving Jews to historically either grow beards, trim with scissors or tweezers or, as in Eastern Europe, to use depilatory cream to burn facial whiskers. (Being clean shaven, I regularly thank God for electric shavers!)
For our purposes, the first half of the verse prohibited shearing the hair in front of the ears, extending from the temple to below the cheekbone, or according to some, to the bottom of the earlobes (Makkot 20a). The most popular explanation given by Maimonides and others for both of these prohibitions contends that these shaving habits were promoted by idol worshipers, from whom we must distinguish ourselves (Guide III:37). Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra (12th century, Spain) alternatively suggested that, based on connections to Leviticus 21:5, these practices were expressions of inappropriate mourning. Rabbi Ya'acov ben Asher (d. 1343, Spain), however, criticized this endeavor to offer rationales for these (and other) commandments, contending that we accept them because they represent the divine will (Tur YD 181).
Medieval scholars struggled to define the scope of the pe'ot prohibition. Many scholars, such as Maimonides, contended that one may entirely cut this hair with scissors, provided that one does not use a razor (Hilchot Avoda Zara 12:6). The law, however, follows the opinion of Rabbenu Asher, who contended that one must leave some minimal hair, even when cut with scissors (YD 181:3). Much to the rabbis' chagrin, however, some Jews would razor-shave all of the hair in this area, or at best, leave a singular string of hair (Tashbetz 3:501). A number of rabbis condemned this behavior as an unwanted desire to appear like their non-Jewish neighbors.
Nonetheless, while medieval scholars condemned overly cutting this area, they did not require people to grow out this hair. Maimonides stated this explicitly, noting that the masses err in thinking that the hair should remain unshorn, like a Nazirite (Responsa 2:44). Moreover, as Prof. Yitzhak Zimmer has documented in a detailed essay on this topic, artistic and literary depictions by both Jews and non-Jews make no reference to the growing of pe'ot.
The famed 16th-century Safed kabbalist, R. Isaac Luria (Arizal), was the first to explicitly encourage Jews to grow pe'ot, noting that this mitzva can be performed all day for one's entire life. His students also promoted pe'ot as an external sign of one's Jewish identity, an idea which quickly spread to Sephardi and Ashkenazi lands alike. Under the influence of the Arizal, European hassidic Jews in particular embraced the mystical and symbolic significance of this practice. While some sects wear shorter pe'ot tucked behind ears, others grow them extremely long, to the point where many can identify the affiliation of hassidim based on their pe'ot.
During these centuries, however, an increasing number of Jews violated shaving regulations, both regarding the face and the pe'ot areas. This was particularly truly in central European nations under the influence of the Renaissance, Protestantism, Enlightenment and Reform movements, where men were increasingly clean shaven and in some eras, wore wigs. As Prof. Zimmer notes, the increased neglect of shaving regulations by some Jews only increased its symbolic importance for traditionalist Jews, as pe'ot came to distinguish not only Jews from non-Jews, but also Jews from Jews. Indeed, a government commission found that certain secular leaders forced Yemenite children to cut their pe'ot during the 1950 mass emigration period, much to our country's shame. This is particularly true in light of the fact that pe'ot were the subject of vicious governmental decrees by many modern enemies of the Jewish people.
Today, one finds an increasing number of religious-Zionist youth growing pe'ot. Some do so as a sign of identity with neo-hassidic spirituality, while others emulate the halachic stringency found in the haredi world. Whatever one might feel about this trend, it clearly indicates the continued symbolic meaning of our hair.
The writer, on-line editor of Tradition, teaches at Yeshivat Hakotel and is pursuing a doctorate in Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University.
- See more at: http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2009/02/did-king-david-have-peyot.html#sthash.qm1Q7G4e.dpuf
Kahane-Was-Right BT:
--- Quote from: muman613 on March 03, 2013, 02:55:55 AM ---No, the article says that Peyot should not be grown. He says it is an idolatrous practice. Once I read that I know where he is coming from.
--- End quote ---
So you are admitting that you didn't read the full response because you are afraid of facts? What if that hairstyle also has roots in idolatrous customs? Would that bother you? What if it's true? Have you seen the pictures he's referring to which depict it? Why ignore the rest of what he wrote and then comment without reading the whole statement?
--- Quote ---If he is a Rabbi you respect, so be it.
I think his conclusions are in error,
--- End quote ---
So if his conclusions are in error, does that give you the right to disrespect a rabbi? Please elaborate.
--- Quote --- and again the majority opinion is that Peyot is a mitzvah of the Torah
--- End quote ---
False. Not one chacham believes this. Not one. The halachic requirement, which can be found in the writings of poskim, not by looking at people walking around on the street or looking at pictures, is that it not be shaved off (bald). Leaving a tiny amount of hair suffices to fulfill this mitzvah. Your statement is an obfuscation.
--- Quote --- Peyot is a mitzvah of the Torah and that it was a custom which has endured
--- End quote ---
You are contradicting yourself. Is it a mitzvah of the Torah or a custom "that endured" ? It can't be both. It's obviously NOT a mitzvah of the Torah because it was an innovation by the Chassidim, and it didn't "endure" since it just recently appeared in Jewish history with the onset of chasidism. Those are facts, whether those facts make you uncomfortable or not, facts they are. Chassidic and Yemenite Peyoth are a custom. And a custom not based in Jewish law or Talmudic legal discussions. So it is certainly not a "minhag", it's just something certain Jews do culturally.
But Shabbat observance IS a mitzvah from the Torah. That and other things are a million times more important than arguing over hairstyles and the origins of hairstyles which are not required. The 613 mitzvot take precedence over minutia and supposed customs, so let's make sure we are strong in our mitzvah performance more importantly than anything.
--- Quote ---as a 'siman' or sign of the Jewish people, not as a sign of idolatrous people, as the article concluded.
--- End quote ---
Ironic that you use the term "Siman" because that was the term used by the gentile King of Yemen to describe the hair style he imposed on Yemenite Jews. He called them "Simanim" (signs) to distinguish the Jews from the gentile Yemenite population physically.
If there is historical evidence for idolatrous egyptians having hair like this in their ceremonies, should we pretend it never happened?
--- Quote ---Most Rabbis when giving an opinion will provide sources for his conclusions, maybe you can ask him to provide some references other than broad speculation.
--- End quote ---
Source for which part? He encouraged people to google search certain things he referenced about ancient cultures.
But what things specifically do you want sources for? Are you sure you even want to look at those sources?
Kahane-Was-Right BT:
--- Quote from: muman613 on March 03, 2013, 03:04:42 AM ---KWRBT,
It is you who is the insecure one, who always supports postings which are anti Ashkenazi for whatever deep-seated purpose.
--- End quote ---
False accusations.
It is you who misinterpret things I say as being "anti-Ashkenazi" (not to mention "anti-chassidic") because of your insecurity and sensitivity about those subjects.
I am Ashkenazi (so are most of my friends) and certainly not anti-ashkenazi! Why would I be against my own family background? Total silliness
muman613:
KWRBT,
You google it... I already have... Please provide pictures of non-Jews who wear Peyot as their custom...
muman613:
More information on the interpretation of the mitzvah to 'not round the corners of the head'...
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/81570/jewish/The-Prohibition-Against-Shaving-the-Edges-of-Ones-Head.htm
Leviticus 19:27 states: “Do not round off [the hair] at the edges of your heads.” Our Rabbis interpreted the term “edges” to refer to the hair between the ears and the hairless portion of the face. Maimonides writes:1
Our Sages did not determine the amount of hair which must be left at the corners of our temples. We have heard, however, from our elders that one must leave at least forty hairs.2
One may remove the [hairs from] the edges [of our heads] with scissors. The prohibition applies only to total removal with a razor.
In one of his responsa, Maimonides clarifies that the forbidden area is about the size of a thumb. The Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah 181:1) explains that we are speaking about the area where the skull is joined to the jawbone. The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 170:1 states that the area which is forbidden to be shaven extends until below the ear, the place from which the jaw protrudes.
Although the person who violates the prohibition is the one who actually shaves the hair off, if the person having his head shaved moves his head to assist the person doing the shaving, he also is considered as having transgressed. Even if a person does nothing at all, it is forbidden for him to allow the edges of his head to be shaven.3
Maimonides4 considers this prohibition as one of the safeguards against idolatry. He explains that it was customary for pagan priests to shave the corners of their heads. Hence, the Torah commanded the Jewish people to shun this practice.5 The Chasam Sofer6 explains this concept further: Since pagans could not have their idols grow hair, it was customary for them to shave their own hair, so that they would resemble the images they worshipped. Others offer different rationales for the practice.
The rationale, however, is not significant. The prohibition is one of the 613 mitzvos of the Torah,7 incumbent on all Jewish males, at all times and in all places.
As mentioned above, the upsherinish is instituted to train the child to observe this prohibition. But the prohibition applies not only in childhood, but throughout our lives. And unfortunately, it is violated sometimes, unknowingly all too often. For when a barber shaves the hair at the side of the ears, a transgression, equal in severity to partaking of pork or shrimp, is committed.
In many communities, because the Torah singled out this portion of the hair for distinction, it is customary to allow the hair to grow long, thus creating the “earlocks” (peyos) that have become part of the stereotype image of the observant Jew. Significantly, this custom is practiced by Jews from such far-removed origins as Yemen, Morocco, and Eastern Europe.
The AriZal, however, would not grow his peyos below his ears. Instead, he would trim them with a scissors.8 The Lubavitch custom is to follow this example.9
FOOTNOTES
1. Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Avodas Kochavim 12:1.
2. Some versions of the Mishneh Torah state “four.”
3. Shulchan Aruch (ibid.: 4).
4. Mishneh Torah, loc. cit. :1; Guide to the Perplexed, Vol. III, ch. 37.
5. See similar concepts in Sefer HaChinuch (mitzvah 251).
6. Derashos, Vol. II, p. 319.
7. Sefer HaMitzvos (negative commandment 43); Sefer HaChinuch (mitzvah 251).
8. Shaar HaMitzvos, Taamei HaMitzvos, Parshas Kedoshim; Beis Lechem Yehudah, gloss to Yoreh De’ah 181:1.
9. Igros Kodesh, Vol. XX, p. 10.
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