Question:
B”H
Dear rabbi,
I am 51, quite 52, I am Italian, live in Austria and I am neither married nor I have children. For many many years I have had a beard but now that my beard is becoming white, I ask myself if I am allowed to shave it. Despite my age I am doctoral student and my wish, IY”H, is to become a university professor. Attending classes and living with students a clean shave would let me look younger and fit better to the academia.
Anyway I don’t want to take such a decision out of aesthetic reasons. I believe in the Jewish mystic and this is the reason why I let my beard grown many years ago. What should I do? I wanted to dye my beard but I heard that it’s forbidden. Then either I accept my quite white beard or I shave it clean.
I have to confess to you that there is one more reason why I put you this question. Where I live (Austria) there are a lot of people from Middle East. They are Muslims and not each of them is tolerant . When they see me with the kippah and my beard, some fluke, others spit on the floor, other yell at me: “Free Palestine!”. I know that the Eybishter protects me but despite it I begin to be afraid. I confess to you that I was not hired by a company because of my religion. Another point. To afford the life here I wanted to find a part time job but unfortunately the companies don’t hire people who cannot work on Saturday and they have prejudices against people who wear kippah. It’s very strange because there a lot of muslim women with chador who work. It seems that the companies have such problem only with Jews.
I confess you, I would like to hide a bit my Yiddishkeit.
What do you advise me? I don’t have a rabbi to ask. Therefore I allow myself to ask you.
Thank you!
Answer:
Hello,
My understanding of your question is that you have two reasons why you want to shave your beard. The first is so you will look younger as your white hair will no longer show, and secondly, in order that you shouldn’t look so Jewish, because you are encountering anti-Semitism where you now live.
The answer is that you are allowed to shave your beard. Although a man may not pluck out his white hairs in order to look younger, as this is a womanly thing to do (called lo tilbash”). However this applies only when the person is removing specifically the white ones, (even if some black ones also come along). When you shave, you are not specifically removing the white hair, but all the hairs of your beard, therefore lo tilbash will not apply. You will have to make sure that you shave properly, not with a razor, and with a shaver that is kosher, and will not be considered like a razor.
Regarding your hiding your Jewishness, I don’t know the situation where you are, but shaving one’s beard for this is not a problem.
Best wishes
Sources:
שולחן ערוך יורה דעה הלכות לא ילבש גבר שמלת אשה סימן קפב סעיף ו “אסור (לאיש) ללקט אפילו שער אחד לבן מתוך השחורות, משום לא ילבש גבר (דברים כב, ה) וכן אסור לאיש לצבוע (שערות לבנות שיהיו) (ב”י) שחורות, אפילו שערה אחת”. ע’ בדרכי תשובה יו”ד ס’ קפ”ב ס”ק י”ז, ע’ בס’ אבל יעקב הל’ לא תלבש ( יו”ד ס’ קפב) אות ס”ט וס”ק צ”ה, וז”ל “עי’ בשו”ת דברי חיים (חלק ב’ סימן ס”ב) שכתב לענין אדם אחד שגדל לו חצי הזקן שחור וחצי לבן ומתבייש מאוד, ופסק שמותר לו להוריד את כל הזקן כיון שבאופן זה אין איסור משום דאינו מלקט הלבנות מתוך השחורות אלא רק מוריד את כולם. ועי’ בשו”ת באר שרים (חלק ו’ סימן סי אות ו’-ז’) שהוכיח דאם ליקט כל הלבנות ולא מתוך השחורות מותר עיי”ש.
