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If R' Schneur Zalman of Liadi had long Peoth, as in this famous sketch, why is it not the custom in Lubavitch circles these days for adult men to maintain long, emphasized Peoth as it is in many other Hasidic groups?

(Of course this is not strictly a Hasidic custom; there are many others who grow out their Peoth. I'm just comparing the practice of one Hasidic group against, it seems, nearly all the others.)

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  • See here: chabadtalk.com/forum/showthread.php3?t=30
    – HodofHod
    Mar 1, 2012 at 6:27
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    Fun fact: From The Jews of Teman (Days of Exile and Days of Redemption) by Rabbi Dr. Aharon ben Dawid pg. 14. The dress of the Jews until then [1673 leminyanam] was honorable garb, with wide sleeves like important Muslims; they wore headdresses on their heads, and they did not grow out their peyoth at all. ... cont
    – avi
    Mar 1, 2012 at 6:59
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    ... Almadi Ismail [the Turkish ruler who came into power at this time] decreed upon the Jews to remove their headdresses, a symbol of pride, and go bareheaded, and this for them was a disgrace. To increase their degradation it was decreed that they should grow out their sidelocks and walk with their sidelocks (called Zenanir by the goyim and simanim by the Jews) out in the marketplaces and streets and everywhere else.
    – avi
    Mar 1, 2012 at 6:59
  • What happens if you dont have a beard i think that people are getting mixed up if the ari says that to separate between the beard then you should have a beard
    – user4650
    Dec 19, 2013 at 0:25
  • Related: judaism.stackexchange.com/q/35677
    – msh210 ♦
    Feb 21, 2014 at 2:12

2 Answers 2

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The Lubavitcher Rebbe said that the custom among Lubavitch was to cut the Peos.

He said that there are a few reasons, one of which is to avoid mixing the two types of light from the 13 strands of the beard. He also mentioned that the Arizal used to cut his Peos (as is written in the Shaarei Hamitzvos and Taamei Hamitzvos parshas Kedoshim).

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    Then how did he account for the famous sketch of the Alter Rebbe?
    – Seth J
    Mar 1, 2012 at 6:37
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    @avi It is a very old picture. I don't doubt it is not 100% as accurate as a photograph would have been, but I have a hard time accepting that he just happened to have bushy hair around his ears.
    – Seth J
    Mar 1, 2012 at 15:27
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    An important aspect of the Rebbe's letter is "Kivan D'Nafak M'Pumiya D'Rav Kahana". If the Arizal did it, we should be Mehader to follow it.
    – Menachem
    Mar 1, 2012 at 16:05
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    @SethJ Wild speculation: If I'm not mistaken, this sketch was done by a non-Jewish artist while the Alter Rebbe was imprisoned. It's possible that he did not have access to a barber for a while, or that he didn't trust the prison barber to touch his peyos. Also, it's possible that, as Alex said, the artist (intentionally or unintentionally) drew his peyos wrong.
    – HodofHod
    Mar 1, 2012 at 16:35
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    @HodofHod nevermind not trusting - it's halacha (Avodah Zarah 27a, Yoreh De’ah 156:1)
    – yoel
    Mar 1, 2012 at 16:50
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Years ago, I was told that the Chabad Chasdidim wear short peyos because there had been, at one time, a law in Russia forbidding peyos. They then started wearing short peyos, which they continued wearing since that time.

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