Posts: 117
Threads: 36
Joined: Jan 2008
Reputation:
0
Now that I have you here Andrew, I wanted to ask why you, along with many other torah-keeping men, follow laws such as not breaking the sabbath, yet have a clean shaven face. I'm guessing you took Lev.'s commandment of not shaving to mean not shaving for THE DEAD. (Meaning its okay to shave as long as theres no rituals involved the mourned dead.)
Posts: 513
Threads: 70
Joined: Sep 2003
Reputation:
0
Shlama Akhi Runggold,
By Torah principle, preists and Levites must have beards. Other israelites can as well but this is not required, Yes the Leviticus passage on not marring the corners of the beard is CLEARLY in connection with pagan death rituals and not a separated injunction.
But there is also positive example as welll--Joseph shaved before Pharaoh and his Levite biographer Moses didn't bat an eyelash in s writing it down. And contrary to the opinion of some Netzarim I have met over the years, it is NOT true Egyptian or Hyksos society would have forced Joseph to shave against his will. In tomb reliefs of the period (Beni Hasan and others) bearded easterners are shown welcome in Pharaohs courts as both leaders and servants. Joseph could have kept that scruff no problem.
Instead he chose to shave and Moshe said "no problem, no comment" In fact, beards were considered presitigious to the degree that many Egyptians would shave their faces and heads and then wear false wigs and beards. Even Hatshepsut, a female pharaoh, like to wear a false beard in public. So did King Tut and he had to--he was only 20 years onld when he died from a chariot accident.
I also have skin conditions that maker it necessary for me to shave. Hope this helps! If I was kohenim, that might be a different matter.
Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth
Posts: 117
Threads: 36
Joined: Jan 2008
Reputation:
0
Where in scripture does it say priests must be bearded, but not normal civilians? How do we know which torah commandments refer to us, or to the priests, or only to a specific family tree generation, etc.?
Posts: 513
Threads: 70
Joined: Sep 2003
Reputation:
0
Shlama Akhi Runggold,
Very simple. Joseph was allowed to shave, and he was not a Levite:
Ge 41:14 -
So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.
As the son of Jacob and the father of the half tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh and owing to the fact that Moses himself did not criticize it, I think this is not hard to establish. All Israelite men could grow beards but kohenim had to since we have a specific instruction:
Le 21:5 -
"'Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies.
And:
Ps 133:2 -
It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes.
There are of course exceptions in case of Nazirite vows, skin diseases that are called leprosy but were not always real leprosy, etc, e,g, Numbers 6:1-25, 8:7.
Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth