Do you believe that men should wear beards?
It is not difficult for people to acknowledge how wearing beards (Heb. sing. zaqan), or facial hair in general, is quite commonplace among many male Jews.[1] Many Jewish cultural features have been rooted within the instruction of Leviticus 19:27, “You shall not round off the side-growth of your heads nor harm the edges of your beard” (NASU).[2] There has been internal debate within Judaism what “the side-growth of your beard” (NJPS) actually means, though, with varied applications of this present among modern Jews.
The Jewish tradition throughout history witnesses a diversity of approaches to the Leviticus 19:27 command, as well as the significance wearing a beard may have for a man.[3] Some have interpreted the Leviticus 19:27 command as relating to a man’s full beard, others only what would be regarded as his sideburns, and others the extremities of the beard. Some believe that a man’s facial hair has actual “boundaries,” more or less defined, and others believe that the hair on a man’s face should just grow without any type of grooming. Some believe that a man can trim and groom his beard. Others believe that a man can shave his beard, provided it is with an electric razor. And, others even think that a man can shave his beard with a conventional depilatory razor, provided that it has at least two blades, and not a single cutting edge.
Much of this same variance of interpretation has made its way into the Messianic movement, and one will see a wide array of applications. In approaching the word of Leviticus 19:27, today’s Messianic people should acknowledge the diversity of opinions within Judaism. There are many men in today’s Messianic Jewish movement who wear beards long or trimmed, goatees, moustaches, or no facial hair at all. Presumably, each man you encounter in the Messianic movement, has had to reckon with Leviticus 19:27, and the diversity of applications seen within Judaism. So, whatever interpretation you might hold about this, you should respect others.
It is notable that there is a distinct subculture in much of the Hebrew Roots movement, which would insist that all men wear beards—and there are those who will often be judgmental and quite harsh of men who do not have them. This might even extend to various jobs, particularly those in law enforcement or the military, where having a beard might be a legitimate safety hazard.
Having or not having a full beard is not an issue of a man’s spirituality, as one’s relationship with the Lord is contingent on having a heart and mind which have been transformed by the Holy Spirit, demonstrating God’s love to others in the world. The issue of beards is definitely a place where God’s reminder to the Prophet Samuel should be acknowledged: “God doesn’t look at things like humans do. Humans see only what is visible to the eyes, but the Lord sees into the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, Common English Bible).
Some men are incapable of growing beards, or even a moustache or goatee, and that is the way God made them. Are they less spiritual because they cannot have a beard? Others have beards as a matter of personal preference, and not necessarily because they think the Bible requires them. Some may wear beards, because shaving irritates their skin. In some Messianic congregations, you will find that facial hair on men is not an issue, where in various others it is an issue. Many men in Messianic congregations, while recognizing the diversity of views within Judaism regarding facial hair, may decide to have a beard partially out of personal preference, partially out of a dislike of shaving, and perhaps at least passively to keep (the spirit or tenor of) a Torah instruction.
Concurrent with the variance of views, concerning beards and facial hair within Judaism, is how some sectors of Orthodox Judaism practice the custom of wearing payot. This interpretation stems from the meaning of the Hebrew word for “corner” in Leviticus 19:27, peah, “side, edge, border” (BDB).[4] Payot are often curls which extend down from the area of the sideburns, and they vary in length from a few inches, to even eighteen inches. Not very many in the Messianic community, however, practice the custom of having payot.
NOTES
[1] This has been reproduced from “How Should Messianics Dress Modestly and Groom Themselves?”, in Torah In the Balance, Volumes I & II (McKinney, TX: Messianic Apologetics, 2024).
[2] For a further review, consult “Beards and Hairstyles in the Biblical World,” in Duane A. Garrett, ed., et. al., NIV Archaeological Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 1084.
[3] Some of this is summarized in Ronald L. Eisenberg, The 613 Mitzvot: A Contemporary Guide to the Commandments of Judaism (Rockville, MD: Schreiber Publishing, 2005), pp 590-592.
[4] Francis Brown, S.R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1979), 802.
