Question
My fiance has a beard and i asked him to shave it , so i can see his face even for a short time.
He told me that is not good to shave the beard that is a sign of mourning.
Is that true.
Thank you for your time .
Answer
Indeed, according to the Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism) both growing a beard and trimming the hair of one’s head have noted importance. The hair of the beard is associated with the attribute of lovingkindness; that of the head, with the attribute of strict justice. Accordingly, a Jew should maintain beard all year round and refrain from removing it at any time. The Kabbalah considers this practice to be of great significance.
Kabbalah aside though, according to the letter of the law it is permissible for a Jew to shave his beard from time to time, with the exception of the following times: the thirty-three days of semi-mourning in the Omer counting period; the “Three Weeks” between the Seventeenth of Tammuz and the Ninth of Av; and the Chol HaMoed (intermediate days of the Passover or Sukkot holidays).
The bottom line is that in this matter a Jew should follow his own tradition and his personal feeling.
Rabbi Ro'i Margalit
