Why do religious Jews wear beards?
44 episodes
17.4K viewsWhy do religious Jews wear beards? As. you know, among religious Jews, especially within Orthodox and Hasidic. movements, a long, untrimmed beard is a. very common distinguishing mark. But. how can this practice be explained? Well, first of all, because it is a. biblical commandment, and yes, that is. the primary foundation for this custom. It is found in the Book of Leviticus. It is written there, and I quote: "Do. not cut the hair at the sides of your. head or clip off the edges of your. beard." An injunction which is.
interpreted by tradition as a. prohibition against shaving certain. specific parts of the face with a. direct blade, such as a razor. And. although the text does not specify. exactly which areas are concerned, the. Talmudic sages identified five areas of. the beard that are forbidden to be. shaved with a metal blade. So, as you. can see, to remain faithful to this. strict interpretation, many religious. Jews choose not to touch their beards. at all, even avoiding scissors or. trimmers in some movements. Furthermore.
, beyond the prohibition, the beard is. also seen as a symbol of piety, wisdom, and respect for divine creation. And. not interfering with its natural growth. means accepting the body as God created. it, without seeking to modify it. Then, in Jewish mysticism, the beard is. endowed with a deep spiritual dimension. . It is indeed associated with notions. of kindness, mercy, and divine. abundance. Thus, the 13 locks of the. beard are sometimes linked to the 13. attributes of God's mercy mentioned in.
the Book of Exodus. Therefore, for. Kabbalists, the beard becomes a sacred. channel through which divine blessing. descends upon the world. Finally, it. must be said, the beard also functions. as a marker of religious identity. In. societies where visible signs of. religiosity are rare, the beard allows. one to affirm belonging to a community. and a way of life based on the Torah. It often appears alongside other. distinguishing marks like the kippah, sidelocks, or traditional clothing.