StevenWarRan: Jews on Crack Non-Violence and the Second Amendment Tuesday, June 23, 2009 Jews on Crack In this much-distributed one-minute, three-second news clip (safely maintained, I should hope, here at the BBC ,) Sergeant David Schlosser, with the federal Washington D.C. Park Police, holds a news conference about an attack on the U.S. Holocaust Museum. Because he's in possession of such a remarkably abbreviated amount of information (the gunman is a "male;" he carried a "long gun;" two injured have been transferred to hospital, but "no information" on their conditions,) he overcompensates in his mustered sternness, to the point he comes across as Barney Fife. As the clip begins, we see Schlosser standing before a blank stretch of asphalt. At the nine-second mark, a male with distinctive red hair and beard sidles in from the right. He is wearing payot, or payoss, the uncut locks of hair worn on the sides of the head by Orthodox male Jews.

At the 17-second mark, a similar red-haired male Hasidim who could be his twin, moves to occupy the space on the officer's right, followed almost immediately afterward by a woman who appears to be dressed in a similarly colored wig, and who is smiling demonically, or perhaps pathologically. She holds the insane grin for as long as we catch sight of her---at least until the 34-second mark. At the 30-second mark, a crowd of reporters, camera people and onlookers flood the background as though released through a stanchion. I haven't found a time stamp for this clip, but it would appear to be the earliest official report released during the day, with the least amount of information, given by the law-enforcement department with the least standing to be working the case---the others being the District of Columbia Metropolitan police department and the FBI, who had lead-agency status and control. A logical interpretation of the clip would have us witnessing the police officer starting a news conference at a chaotic moment, without a proper head's-up announcement to the assembled beforehand, and with the late arrivals scurrying to take positions as close as possible.

But with men wearing bullet-proof vests, and what looks like FBI windbreakers joining in, it looks more like a director yelled, "Extras!" and used whoever was about to fill in. The appearance of these Jews in this fashion is meant as a non-verbal communication claiming false-flag responsibility for the shooting, to a world-wide audience who were in on the code---in my humble, gentile opinion---and in on the joke. Nothing else explains the dance of choreography and the Cheshire-cat grin on the inappropriately emoting female. The following AP news video is of a later portion of the interview, with the same Park Police officer,and one of the Hasidic men is still seen in the background, although it has even less of a grasp on the facts then before. Although having to stop and correct himself, this scene is a repetition of the limited facts available, and it came after the first clip with the empty background. This AP News video has most of the operative portion of the BBC: FOX News has a 4:30 minute extension of the interview, where Sergeant Schlosser takes questions.

Posted by Religions That Don't Allow Men to Cut Their Hair | Our Everyday Life Religions That Don't Allow Men to Cut Their Hair by Brett Levine Sikh men wear traditional turbans to cover their hair. Related Articles Dressing as an Orthodox Jew One of the most visible outward identifiers of a person is his hair. Many religions have prohibitions against men cutting their hair, whether for spiritual, religious or cultural reasons. The prohibition is widespread across a range of religions with diverse belief systems, although the foundations for the practice are often shared. Judaism In Judaism, the traditional side curls worn by Orthodox Jewish men are known as payos or payot. The Bible book of Leviticus 19:27 states that a man should not cut the hair at the side of his head or round off the corners of his beard. Deuteronomy 20:19 compares a man to a tree and suggests that as a tree grows leaves, a man grows the hair at the sides of his head. In contemporary society, payos represent both the Orthodox Jewish resistance to contemporary society and modernity, and the sense of community cohesion created by a visible signifier of identity.

Rastafaris In the Rastafari belief system, hair is traditionally worn in dreadlocks, or coils of hair intentionally formed and grown. Dreadlocks have several layers of meaning. First, as in Judaism, they refer to the biblical prohibition against cutting hair. Second, they represent the lion's mane, symbolizing Africa and the Lion of Judah. Dreadlocks also serve to differentiate the Rastafari from the look of the white man and the establishment. Finally, they are associated with strength, with Rastafari men believing that, like Samson, their strength lies in the length of their hair. Sikhism In Sikhism, hair is traditionally not cut or trimmed in any way. Sikhs believe that hair is a gift from God, so they should not alter that gift. In 1699, Guru Gobindh Singh commanded Sikhs to wear long, uncut hair at all times. This directive was reinforced by Sikh martyr Bhai Desa Singh, who added a theological component to the prohibition, explaining that God fashioned the world, and then he made men with beards, mustaches and hair on their heads. To follow God's teachings, men should adhere to these characteristics.

Recently, Balpreet Kaur, a Sikh woman, asserted her adherence to her faith after being photographed with facial hair. She explained that even for women, hair is one of the five tenets of Sikhism, and that she kept hers in order to submit herself to the divine will. The Amish Beard In certain religions, there are no proscriptions on the way a person wears the hair on his head, but there are stipulations or traditions regarding facial hair. In the Amish religion, for example, an unmarried man is clean-shaven while a married man keeps his beard. The distinction between a beard and a mustache is significant. Amish men believe that many passages in the Bible, such as Psalm 133:1,2, mention beards. Mustaches, on the other hand, are associated with the military, and are therefore forbidden. References Shaving in Judaism Shaving in Judaism Do Jewish men have to have beards? Wikicommons Share By Chaviva Gordon-Bennett Shave and a haircut? If you’re Jewish, you have to think twice. The laws about shaving in Judaism are diverse and detailed and different communities observe different customs.

Origins The basic prohibition against shaving comes from Leviticus, which says, You shall not round the corners of your head, neither shall you mar the corners of your beard (19:27). They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corners of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh (21:5) Ezekiel mentions similar prohibitions in 44:20, which says, Neither shall [the priests] shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads. Prohibitions against shaving likely arose out of the fact that in Biblical times, shaving was a pagan practice and was subsequently prohibited. Maimonides said that cutting the “corners of the beard” was an idolatrous custom (Moreh 3:37), as it is believed that the Hittites, Elamites, and Sumerians were clean-shaven. The Egyptians also are depicted as having very cleanly cut, elongated goatees. In addition to the source of this prohibition, there is Deuteronomy 22:5, which forbids men and women to dress in the clothing and practice the customs of the opposite gender.

The Talmud later took this verse to include the beard as a symbol of a man’s maturity, and the Tzemech Tzedek later argued that shaving violated these gender prohibitions. In Shulchan Aruch 182 this prohibition is understood to say that men shouldn’t remove hair from areas where a woman traditionally would (e.g., under the arms). However, in the books of Amos (8:9-10), Isaiah (22:12), and Micah (1:16) God instructs the mourning Israelites to shave their heads, which is contrary to modern mourning practices of not shaving. [God] told you to shave your heads in sorrow for your sins (Isaiah 22:12). There are other mentions of the requirement to shave the beard and hair completely in specific instances of tzara’at (Leviticus 14:9) and for the Nazarite to shave his head for seven days following his contact with a corpse (Numbers 6:9).

The Details and How Tos The halacha (Jewish law) that a man is forbidden from shaving the “corners of the head” refers to shaving his hair at the temples so that the hairline is a straight line from behind the ears to the forehead, and this is where payot or payos (side curls) come from ( Babylonian Talmud , Makot 20b). Within the prohibition of shaving the “corners of the beard,” there is a complicated understanding that evolved into five points ( Shebu'ot 3b and Makkot 20a, b). These five points could be on the cheek near the temples, the point of the chin, and a point at the end of the cheekbone near the center of the face or it may be that there are two points on the mustache area, two on the cheek, and one at the point of the chin. There is plenty of disagreement about the specifics, so the Shulchan Aruch prohibits the shaving of the entire beard and mustache. Ultimately, using a razor is prohibited (Makot 20a). This derives from the Hebrew word gelach used in Leviticus that refers to a blade against the skin.

The rabbis of the Talmud understood then, that the prohibition is only to a blade and only to hair being cut closely and smoothly to the roots (Makkot 3:5 and Sifra on Kedoshim 6). Exceptions A man can trim his beard with scissors or an electric razor with two cutting edges because there is no concern about the cutting action to be in direct contact with the skin. The reasoning behind this is that the two blades of scissors do the cutting without contact with the skin (Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah , 181). Rabbi Moshe Feinstein , a 20th century halachic authority, said that electric razors are permitted because they cut the hair by trapping it between several blades and grinding the hair. He did, however, forbid electric shavers whose blades are too sharp. According to many modern rabbis, most electric shavers have such sharp blades that they are considered problematic and often prohibited. Most Orthodox rabbinic authorities continue to prohibit electric “lift-and-cut” razors because they are believed to work too much like traditional razors and thus are forbidden.

There is a way to make these types of razors “kosher” by removing the lifts, according to koshershaver.org . There are allowances for trimming and shaving the mustache if it is going to interfere with eating, although most Orthodox Jews will use an electric shaver to do so. Likewise, a man is permitted to shave the back of the neck, even with a razor. These laws do not apply to women, even in regards to facial hair. Kabbalah According to Kabbalah (a form of Jewish mysticism), a man’s beard represents unique, mystical powers. It symbolizes both God’s mercy and the Creation of the world being divinely inspired by God. Isaac Luria, a practitioner and teacher of Kabbalah, was said to see such power in the beard that he avoided touching his beard, lest he cause any hairs to fall out (Shulchan Aruch 182). Because Chasidic Jews hold closely to Kabbalah, it is one of the largest groups of Jews that strictly follow the halachot (laws) of not shaving. Who The practice of growing out the beard and not shaving is widely practiced by the Chasidim that have origins in Eastern Europe.

The rabbis of Eastern Europe understood the mitzvah of growing a beard to actually be a prohibition of shaving one’s face. While a 1408 Spanish law forbade Jews from growing beards, by the end of the 1600s in Germany and Italy Jews were removing their beards by using pumice stones and chemical depilatories (a shaving powder or cream). These methods left the face smooth, giving the impression of having shaved and would not have been prohibited because they did not employ the use of a razor. Throughout the Middle Ages customs surrounding beard growth varied, with Jews in Muslim nations growing their beards out and those living in countries like Germany and France removing their beards. Today, although the practice of not shaving is widely observed in the Chasidic and ultra-Orthodox communities, many Jews do not shave during The Three Weeks of mourning leading up to Tisha b’Av and during the counting of the Omer (sefirah). Likewise, a Jewish mourner does not shave or get a haircut for the 30-day period of mourning after the death of an immediate relative.

Kabbalistic Hair Styles - Chasidic Masters Such a person ought to let his hair grow and grow Kabbalistic Hair Styles Such a person ought to let his hair grow and grow The man with the long hair A Nazirite is a man or woman who adopts for a certain period of time (or for the rest of their lives) an extremely elevated spiritual lifestyle, dedicating their days to meditation, prayer, transcendence, and complete service of G‑d (as discussed in Num. 6:1 -21). The Bible imposes three restrictions upon a nazirite, which according to Jewish law apply even today: (see Rambam, Hilchot Nazirut; Sefer Hachinuch Mitzvot #368-377) (a) A nazirite is forbidden to drink wine or eat any grape product; (b) A Nazirite's hair may not be cut; (c) A nazirite may not become defiled and contaminated. Though it is uncommon to encounter a nazirite nowadays 1 , we do have a tangible legacy of the Nazirite persona, in the form of a child.

In some fashion, each of us was raised by our own parents as a nazirite. ...it is uncommon to encounter a nazirite nowadays... First, parents usually keep their children off wine. Second, parents keep their children away from contaminated environments; and finally, it is a long-standing Jewish custom, dating back hundreds, maybe thousands, of years, for parents to let their sons' hair grow long and cut it for the first time only at the age of three. This practice of giving a male child his first "boy's haircut" only after he reached three years of age, is known today in the Jewish world as an "Upshernish" ("haircut" in Yiddish), and is practiced in many Jewish communities the world over. During this ceremony, the boy's hair is cut, but special caution is taken to leave the hair between the ears and the hairless portion of the face, known as earlocks, or "peyot" in Hebrew. The reason for this is because the Bible prohibits the Jew from totally removing the hair of that location where the skull is joined to the jawbone, at the side of the ear. ( Lev. 19:27 . Cf.

Rambam, Hilchot Avodat Kochavim 12:1. Shulchan Aruch Yorah Deah 181:1) What is the reason for this tradition? 2 The same question applies to a nazirite. We can understand how abstaining from wine and from contamination are conducive to fostering holiness and spirituality in a person's life. But why would the Torah instruct a nazirite to let his hair grow long? How does the possession of long, uncut hair, contribute to a life of transcendence? To understand all of this, we must take a journey into the mystical world of hair. What is hair? Jewish mysticism believes that hair contains profound energy…. In our modern terminology, hair is defined as "a collective term for slender, threadlike outgrowths of the epidermis of mammals, forming a characteristic body covering." However, Jewish mysticism believes that hair contains profound energy. The Zohar, one of the ancient Kabbalistic texts, sees every strand of hair as "harboring entire universes".

One of the most profound sections in the Zohar, known as the Idra Rabba, a commentary on this week's Torah portion (Naso), is dedicated almost exclusively to discuss hair and its source in the divine reality. According to the Zohar, "…from the hair of a person you can know who he is." (Zohar, Naso, Idra Rabba 129a) Kabbala discusses the paradox of hair, where on one hand it is rooted in a tubular pit of the epidermis, known as the hair follicle, and is nourished by the blood vessels in a papilla that extends into the follicle and into the root of the hair. This makes it part of the bodily structure. Yet on the other hand, hair contains neither blood vessels nor nerves, therefore not generating any pain upon their removal from the rest of body (Ohr Hatorah, parashat Emor p. 588-593). The Kabbala of Hair So how does Jewish mysticism view the significance of hair? Hairs act as "straws" transmitting profound and inaccessible energy.

Each strand of hair, shaped like a straw (the form of the Hebrew letter vav), communicates a level of soul-energy that due to its intensity cannot be communicated directly, only through the "straw" of hair, through the contracted, and curtailed medium of hair, which dilutes the intense energy. Now, the Kabbala distinguishes between "fine hair" and "coarse hair" - the fine hair decorating the cranium, present immediately during birth, and the coarse hair of the beard, appearing only at a male's entry into adulthood. The hair that links the "fine" and the "coarse" are the peyot, the hair extending from the skull, down the jawbone, after which it merges with the beard. The hair growing on top of the cranium, the "fine hair", represents the deeply concealed energy stemming from the interior of the skull, identified by Kabbala as the location for the super-conscious formations of the human psyche.

The deepest and most primal forces of our psyche, the supra-rational desires and cravings of the soul formulated even prior to the birth of cognition, are associated in Jewish mysticism with the skull, defined as "the crown over the brain", or simply as "keter", which means the crown. Keter is seen as the most lofty and elevated part of the soul, its link to G‑d, Who also transcends reason and logic. The hair of the male beard, on the other hand, the "coarse hair", represents the energy stemming from the sub conscious cognitive impressions of the human psyche, located within the higher and lower brain. This dimension of the human soul is known in Kabbala as "Mocha Stima'a" (or "the hidden cognition"), and stands one rung below the level of keter. (This is the mystical reason for the feminine body not developing a beard. As mentioned above, the mystical function of hair is to access, in a contracted and curtailed fashion, energy that is inaccessible due to its profundity.

Women, however, are naturally more in tuned with their sub conscious cognition, and therefore do not require the "straws" of hair to access that level of self.) Linking two universes Now the question is if there is any way to link the super-conscious forces of the soul, the keter dimension, with the cognitive structure of the psyche? Can we ever mentally experience who we really are out in deepest space? Even after the keter energy was filtered into hair strands, is there hope for us to internalize this infinite light within the finite vessels of cognition? Without the two side locks curtailing, contracting and metamorphosing the new-clear energy of keter, none of it would be expressed…. Men of spirit from the days of yore have struggled with this dilemma. Judaism's answer to this question is - the peyot, the two rows of hair lingering down the jaw bone, that link the hair of the cranium to the hair of the beard.

In Kabbala, these two rows of hair symbolize the contracted transmission of the super-conscious keter energy, to the sub conscious mental (Mocha Satima'a) energy, so that the infinite and unconstrained atomic power of the soul's crown can ultimately be contained and internalized within the mental framework of the human condition. Without the two side locks curtailing, contracting and metamorphosing the new-clear energy of keter, none of it would be expressed or experienced within the person's conscious life. Only by having the keter energy filtered through the hair on the skull, and then re-filtered a second time via the peyot, can the deepest energy of the soul become articulated in the lower chambers of consciousness. [This may also be the reason why the great kabbalist, Rabbi Isaac Luria did not allow his peyot to grow very much below his ears and have them hang over the sides of his beard, as is the custom of Yemenite, Moroccan and most Chassidic Jews. Rather he would trim his peyot with scissors to ensure that they just reached his beard. This "style" was embraced by the Chabad school and many other Ashkenazic and Sefardic communities.

In the former style, the emphasis is on overwhelming the beard (representing the deep cognitive impressions) with the "peyot", representing the flow of the soul's pristine desire and emotion. This indeed is the spiritual path of Yemenite and many Chassidic Jews. In Chabad, however, the goal has always been to link between the atomic energy of the soul and the mental framework of the mind, represented by the connection of the peyot with the beard. 3 ] The Man Who Gazes at His Pristine Self A nazirite is a human being who…attempts to go back to the primal formations of his soul…. All of the above is valid, however, in the case of an ordinary human being, in whom the hair of the cranium can transmit the intensity of the keter feature of the soul only via the peyot. The hair atop of the skull on its own (without the further filtering through the peyot) cannot convey that keter energy, due to its tremendous power and intensity. Therefore, the Torah instructs us to leave our peyot and beards intact, for these are the containers through which we access the holiness of our souls.

There is no mitzvah, however, in letting the hair above the skull grow long. However, a nazirite is a human being who, through a profound process of meditation and transcendence, attempts to go back to the primal formations of his soul. Such a person, says the Torah, ought to let his hair grow and grow, since each strand transmits and brings to the fore tremendous holiness and profundity, the supra rational link of the soul to G‑d. A nazirite needs not his peyot to filter the energy and bring it down to the lower brain-level; a nazirite is able to experience something of his true self without even the most refined masks. The Secret of a Child This may be the deeper reason for the Jewish custom of letting a child's hair grow freely till the age of three. During the first years of a child's life, what is most exposed in his life is his keter dimension - his primal, basic formations. During the first years, a child has not yet matured enough to allow his or her mind to filter through every experience and stimuli. At that time, a child is like a dry sponge, absorbing everything in a very deep place.

Though we often perceive children as lacking in the ability to internalize as much as we can, in truth, their level of internalization is far deeper - straight to the primal part of the soul, without traveling through the multi layers of mental cognitive structure. If you wish to know your pristine experiences, spend some real time with your child. There you will encounter your own keter, your own inner self, expressed in the long strands of hair decorating the crown of his soul, the skull. After three years of age, the process of mental frame working and processing begins to increase significantly. This is the time when a child learns more and more to process the world around him via his conscious mind and heart, not via his super conscious core. It is at this point that we must begin to help the child build a bridge between his innate yearnings and his outer persona, between his soul and his mind. That is why we give him a haircut, and we create a bridge - the peyot that carry down the keter soul energy into his lower brain, which as he grows older will develop a beard. This is the moment we generate the link between the majesty of his soul and the depth of his brain.

Bursting Through the Peyot This is the deeper meaning behind the Torah's prediction that the Mashiach will "burst through the peyot of the Moabite nation." ( Num. 24:17) Moab represents wisdom and intelligence. Nowadays, we must preserve the peyot in order to communicate the supra rational energy into the framework of rationality. But when Mashiach comes, the doors of our perception will be cleansed, granting us the ability to gaze at our core without flinching an eye. The core energy of the soul will come to the fore in its full vigor, not requiring the contraction and concealment represented by the peyot. In that sense, our young children carry in their hair the light of Mashiach. [Based on Zohar, Writings of the Ari, Likutei Torah, and other sources of Kabbala and Chassidut] To subscribe to Rabbi Jacobson's weekly mailing, send an email with your request in the subject line stating: "Subscribe" to YYJacobson@aol.com. Copyright 2003 Rabbi Yosef Y.

Jacobson Footnotes Hair in History Hair in History Copyright by Lois Gibson To support their view that a woman is not to cut her hair, some will tell you that in the Bible you will not find any reference showing a woman cutting her hair in a complimentary manner. They may admit that the Bible doesn't say much about hair at all, which is quite true. Some will say that this is "probably because the proper view has been so readily accepted in the past, having been an inbred lesson of nature." 1 Let us further examine these points. HAIR REMOVAL IN THE BIBLE From the words previously examined, few refer to cutting a woman's hair. We will now examine some of these Scriptures. 1. Numbers 6:9,18-19 show God's instructions for a man or woman to shave their head. This applied to those who had taken the vow of a Nazarite. 2. Leviticus 13:33 covers God's instructions for partly shaving the head of a man or woman when checking for leprosy. 3.

Leviticus 14:8-9 again gives God's instructions for shaving off all the hair of a leper (man or woman) in their cleansing. 4. Deuteronomy 21:12 tells God's instructions for a woman to shave her head when an Israelite wanted to marry her after she was taken captive by them in war against their enemies. In the book quoted above, it is stated that "the ancient Israelites considered the shaving of a woman's head humbling to her (Deuteronomy 21:10-14)." 2 This same idea is expressed later in the book. A study of these Scriptures and how the word 'humbled' is used in other verses will show that the woman was 'humbled' because the man had sexual relations with her and the fact that her hair was shaved had nothing to do with this so called "process of humiliation." 3 If this reasoning is to be followed, then it would also be humbling to pare your nails, etc. The word translated 'humbled' is 'anah.' It is translated this way seven times and 'humble' four times.

Take some time to compare how this word is used in the following Scriptures (bold lettering is mine): "Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing." Judges 19:24 (KJV) "Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you. ...Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days." Deuteronomy 22:24,29 (KJV) "In thee have they discovered their fathers' nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.

And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father's daughter." Ezekiel 22:10,11 (KJV) The acts described in Deuteronomy 21:10-14 were not part of any "process of humiliation." The woman was not disgraced, but was humbled through the sexual act. Read this passage again now that it is clear what humble meant. "When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive, And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife; Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.

And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her." (KJV) 5. Isaiah 3:24 shows God saying he would give the women of Judah baldness instead of well set hair due to their haughtiness. This does refer metaphorically to the act in an unfavorable manner, but is only in reference to totally removing the hair and not merely cutting. This was to be done by God, not the woman. 6. I Corinthians 11:5,6 speaks of shaving a woman's hair if she did not wear a covering when praying or prophesying. This also refers to the act in an unfavorable manner, yet it does not show it being done. (The meanings of 'shorn' and 'shaven' are discussed elsewhere in detail.) 7. Jeremiah 7:29 shows God saying "cut off thine hair" because the people of Judah were following other gods.

(Some non-Israelites would shave their heads in allegiance to their god.) This metaphorically refers to the act in an unfavorable manner, but it would be in reference to both men and women totally removing the hair and not merely cutting. The Hebrew word used for 'hair' in this passage was only used one time as 'hair.' The definition is "prop. something set apart, i.e. (abstr.) dedication (of a priest or Nazarite); hence (concr.) unshorn locks; also (by impl.) a chaplet (espec. of royalty)." 4 'Cut' is "gazaz," the same word which was also translated 'shaved,' 'shear,' 'shearers' and 'shearing.' (This is discussed elsewhere.) It means "a prim. root [akin to 1468]; to cut off; spec. to shear a flock, or shave the hair; fig. to destroy an enemy." 5 It is clear that the total removal of hair was meant, just as at the end of a Nazarite vow. I believe that God was saying for them to remove their hair as they were no longer separated to God due to their spiritual adultery.

Since they were showing by their actions that they were no longer consecrated to God, they should also shave their head to show their vow to God was over. No, everyone had not literally taken a vow of the Nazarite, but the Israelites were to be separated unto God. They were not to defile themselves by worshipping other gods. This Scripture cannot be used to support the belief that women never cut their hair. If this logic is to be followed, then the men never cut their hair either! 8. One Scripture which has been used to show it was a shame for a woman to cut her hair is found in Numbers 5:18: "And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord, and uncover the woman's head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse:" (KJV) It would be embarrassing for a woman to go through this ceremony when she was accused of committing adultery. This happened when there was no witness, but the husband became jealous. It also happened if the husband became jealous and she had not committed adultery. I do not believe that this verse shows that the woman's hair was shaved.

The word translated 'uncover' is "para" and means "a prim. root; to loosen; by impl. to expose, dismiss; fig. absolve, begin." 6 It is rendered as 'loosen' or 'unbind' in some versions. There were certain times where a woman's head would be shaved as we have studied, yet I would not consider them all a 'shame,' especially with regard to the Nazarite vow. The biblical punishment for a woman caught in adultery was death, not the shaving of her head. The instructions in Numbers was for when there was just a suspicion or the act was committed without witnesses. There are not many references to a woman's hair in the Bible. One cannot assume it was or was not cut simply because it is not mentioned. Even if it were not done, there is a big difference in it being a custom as compared to a biblical command. Since some use secular history to support this teaching, let us now look at the historical perspective, even though this cannot be used to say it is or is not condoned by God.

THE HISTORY OF HAIR In a book widely used to promote this teaching, the author states that "For thousands of years, society has frowned upon the cutting of hair by women. Speaking in very broad terms, it is only since the turn of the twentieth century that the practice has gained and held any wide acceptance." 7 We will now look at what some reference books have to say about the subject. With the exception of the first, I will try to limit comments to those concerning women cutting their hair, with a few comments on men with long hair. One will soon see that the author was speaking in very broad terms, indeed. 1. "From the earliest days of colonization through the early part of the 20th century, American hair styles of both men and women were strongly influenced by European fashion. ...Women's hair styles became somewhat more sensible in the early 1700's. The hair was worn close to the head and often adorned with gray or white powder. Some sixty years later, architectural innovation again took hold, and hair was arranged around elaborate structures of wire or basketry and adorned with flowers, feathers, fruit, and even small sculptures.

About 1800, women's hair became shorter, and soon after, side curls appeared. ...In 1905, Charles Nessler, a German living in England, introduced the permanent wave... Three years later the permanent wave was imported into the United States... Originally only hair that conformed to the recommended length of three feet was permanently waved. But about 1915 the dancer Irene Castle became a fixture in American culture... In the 1960's and 1970's, many women adopted hair styles that were freer and less formalized and lacked elaborateness. Wigs returned to the fashion scene..." 8 2. "Early records indicate that the ancient Assyrians wore elaborate curly hair styles; by contrast, the ancient Egyptians, men and women alike, shaved their heads and wore wigs. Whether ornate or simple, hairdressing has been employed by very nearly every society." 9 3. "Both Egyptian men (who were beardless) and women shaved their heads for coolness. ...The Hebrews were prohibited by biblical law from cutting their hair or beards. Thus, following ancient tradition, Orthodox Jewish men through the centuries have worn long hair and beards.

After the exile, in the 1st century AD, Orthodox women, upon marriage, cropped their hair and wore wigs, a custom which is still practiced to some extent. Among the ancient Greeks, boys under the age of 18 generally wore the hair long;... The Germanic and Celtic tribes of northern Europe wore long hair and beards; short hair was a mark of slavery or of punishment. In Islamic countries, both men and women continue to follow tradition, concealing their hair in public under headcloths, turbans, fezzes, or veils. ...By the 9th century, European noblemen wore their hair cropped at the neck, and women's hair was long and generally plaited; married noblewomen, following the church's stipulations about modesty, covered these plaits with a veil. ...Fashionable women of the 13th and 14th centuries coiled their plaits over their ears or bundled them up in back, in both cases covered with gold net cauls or with linen drapery, surmounted by a veil.

In the courts of 15th century France and the Netherlands, women plucked their foreheads to give an effect of added height and combed the rest of their hair under huge wimples draped with veiling. ...In the early 17th century European men of fashion wore long flowing Cavalier locks, often curled, piled, and perfumed. ...In the 18th century...Women at first wore very short powdered hair, curled or waved, but by the 1770s they had adopted a style of combing their hair up into lofty constructions of wire, pads, and false hair, powdered and variously decorated. ...It became fashionable for women after World War I to wear bobbed hair, often permanently waved. ...For men, the closely cropped crew cuts adopted for practical reasons during World War II gave way to longer hair and untrimmed beards." 10 4. "Since prehistoric times, people have cut, braided, and dyed their hair and changed it in other ways as well. ...In ancient Egypt, both men and women shaved their heads for cleanliness and relief from the heat. ...Most men of the 1600's had long, flowing curls.

...During the 1940's, many women cut their hair in a short style called the bob and had it permanent-waved." 11 5. "Almost all societies have found it necessary to cut or confine the hair in order to keep it out of the way. ...As a sign of mourning the ancient Egyptians, whose heads were usually shaven, grew long hair, and long-haired Hindu widows cut off their hair. ...Egyptian noblemen and noblewomen clipped their hair close; later, for coolness and cleanliness in the hot climate they shaved their heads with bronze razors. ...Among the Masai, for example, nonwarriors and women shaved their heads while warriors tied their front hair into three sections of tiny braids and their back hair into a waist-length queue. ...Ibo girls, who shaved their heads and thereafter let the hair grow only according to an elaborate pattern chalked on their skulls. ...In the 15th century, fashionable ladies of Northern Europe plucked their hairline to make their foreheads seem higher...

19th century...Both men and women cut their hair very short, like the Roman emperors, or women twisted their hair into Greek knots, with short curls framing the face, or later into smooth plaits around the head. ...As a result of World War I, women everywhere cut or "bobbed" their hair as a symbol of their political and social emancipation. There followed a succession of short, headclinging hair styles inspired by film stars- the page boy of Garbo, the peek-a-boo of Veronica Lake. Short hair greatly increased the popularity of the permanent wave... In the 1950's the invention of rollers for waving made possible the very short, layered Italian cut. As young, active, informal women discarded hats, hair styles- boufant styles and the smooth, geometric cuts- became important." 12 From what I have been able to study on the history of hair, it does not seem that society has looked down upon women cutting their hair for thousands of years, nor that it was a disgrace for centuries, nor that for thousands of years in almost every society has it been proper for men to cut their hair and women to not cut their hair at all.

This was not the general policy for all time and all peoples. I am convinced that the more one would research this subject, the more instances they would find to show these ideas to be false. Yes, there were times when it was frowned upon, but throughout the years society's opinions on hair styling has changed and no doubt will continue to change just as it has on other issues. According to the Dictionary of American History, quoted earlier, "One Joseph Palmer, who died in 1840, has inscribed on his tombstone in Leominster, Mass., 'Persecuted for growing the beard.' A scant twenty years later, beards were regarded as symbols of sincerity and solidity." 13 Remember when you were younger and thought that article of clothing or that certain style of eyeglasses was so cool? My, you thought you were hot! Years later, in looking back at old photographs, you cringe to think you ever wore it, let alone liked it! Hair styling, length of hair and facial hair seem to have gone through many changes during different times and in different cultures and apparently will continue to do so. HAIR HISTORY FROM BIBLICAL REFERENCES Lets' explore what some biblical references have to say about the subject.

1. The New Smith's Bible Dictionary states that "care and styling of the hair was a matter of custom in the Bible, and it also had religious significance. It was sometimes dressed with aromatic ointments... Cutting and tearing the hair were signs of grief...in a time of war or national calamity. But Israelites were forbidden to trim around the temples (Lev. 19:27) or cut the hair when a relative died (Deut. 14:1) because of the association of these practices with pagan rites. The hair was associated with strength...and purity; and not cutting the hair was considered a sign of consecration to God by the Nazarites (Num. 6:5)." 14 2. Today's Dictionary Of The Bible says "Among the Greeks the custom in this respect varied at different times, as it did also among the Romans. In the time of the apostle, among the Greeks the men wore short hair, while that of the women was long (I Cor. 11:14,15). Paul reproves the Corinthians for falling in with a style of manners which so far confounded the distinction of the sexes and was detrimental to good morals.

...In New Testament times the natural distinction between the sexes was preserved by the women wearing long hair...while the men preserved theirs as a rule at a moderate length by frequent clipping." 15 3. The New Bible Dictionary: Second Edition tells that "The normal Israelite custom, for both sexes, seems to have been to let the hair grow to considerable length. ...Barbers are mentioned (Ezk. 5:1), but their function was to trim rather than to crop the hair. But by the NT period long hair was a 'shame' to a man (I Cor. 11:14), although Paul made that statement to a church in Greece. Women, on the other hand, wore the hair long and practically uncut in both periods. The Talmud does mention women's hairdressers, but the root of the word...is 'to plait' rather than 'to cut'. ...In Egypt the head and face were shaved, however, and Joseph had to comply with the local customs (Gn. 41:14). ...The trimming of it had to be done in special ways; the forelock must never be cut (Lv.

19:27), since this was a feature of some idolatrous cults... To this day orthodox Jews observe this custom: small boys can be seen with the whole head cropped close, except for the ringlets hanging at the ears. The priests were given instructions about their hair by Ezekiel (44:20). The Nazarite had to leave his hair untrimmed so long as his vow lasted, and then shave it completely. This shaving signified purification (Lv. 14:8)." Regarding women, it says "Paul dealt with the local situation in the churches by requiring that the conventions of the time be observed. Meanwhile he laid down the principle that 'God shows no partiality' and that in Christ 'there is neither male nor female', since Christians 'are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28)." 16 4. The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible notes "the ancients usually wore their hair long, although priests, warriors and young boys often were shaved. Boys left a side lock. Recall the long hair of Samson and Absalom.

Because the hair was shaved in an initiation to a divinity in Arabia, the cutting of hair was an abomination to the Jews (Jer. 49:32). The Nazarite knew that the whole body belonged to God including the hair, so a razor never touched his skin (Judg 16:17) until his service was ended (Num 6:18). Captive women shaved their heads for purification, also the lepers (Lev 14:8). Priests kept their hair at a moderate length (Ezek 44:20), but were forbidden to make tonsures (Lev 21:5). ...By NT times long hair was degrading to man, but to a woman it was a source of pride (I Cor 11:14). ...Loss of hair to a woman was shameful (I Cor 11:6). Women were warned against elaborate hair dressing (I Pet 3:3)." 17 5. The Dictionary of the Bible says "OT allusions show that men wore the hair long... the hair, however, was occasionally cut.

...To cut the hair and beard short was a dishonor (2 S 10:4). The hair and beard were cut short as a sign of mourning... This practice was followed by both men and women. The hair was cut with a knife. ...Women, it seems, generally wore the hair loose, hanging down the back below the shoulders. It was sometimes bound by a band around the temples and was worn long in tresses or sometimes in braids. ...In NT times the styles of hairdressing were much the same among Palestinian Jews as in OT times. Men and women wore the hair long, and men wore the full beard. ...the Roman styles of hairdressing of the 1st century bore a rather close resemblance to modern styles. ...Paul in speaking to the Corinthians accepts the Roman rather than the Palestinian style and says it is degrading for a man to wear his hair long (I Cor. 11:14). He admits also that it is becoming for a woman to cultivate and dress her hair, which is her glory (ibid).

For a woman to have her hair cut short or her head shaved is a disgrace (I Co 11:5f); possibly the short haircut was a token of the prostitute." 18 6. The Bible Almanac tells that "Paul the apostle said that hair was a natural veil, or covering, for the woman; he indicates that in his day it was shameful for a Christian woman to cut her hair (I Cor. 11:15). The women wore their hair long and braided." 19 QUESTIONS Does the Bible give any complimentary mention of women cutting their hair? Not that I could find, but I also have not found a negative mention showing a woman cutting her own hair. Proponents of the 'no cutting' doctrine would therefore state that there wouldn't be any mention as women never cut their hair. Based on what I have been able to study, I do not believe anyone can assuredly state that this was never done. It would appear it was seldom done among the Israelites. This, however, does not constitute a biblical prohibition of the act.

If the Bible does not have much to say about a person's hair and it is believed that this is "probably because the proper view has been so readily accepted in the past, having been an inbred lesson of nature," 20 then I must ask some questions. 1. If it was so 'inbred' in the women, how come the men, who were the spiritual leaders in the household, did not have this same knowledge 'inbred' in them with regard to their hair? 2. If the cutting of a woman's hair is so wrong and carries such implications, then why is it not once clearly and explicitly stated that doing so is wrong? Murder, adultery, lying and other wrongful actions are clearly mentioned time and again throughout Scripture. Should we not realize that these things are wrong to do without having them pointed out, as with hair? Yet they are specifically stated more than once in many parts of the Bible. Why? God wanted to make it extremely clear that such actions were sinful and that a follower of his should not engage in such as they lead to hell and not heaven.

In addition, we see biblical examples of people in the Bible committing various acts of sin and not once do we ever read about a woman cutting her hair and it is known to be sinful. I find it utterly impossible to believe that if it is sinful, that not one woman in Old Testament times ever committed this act, being so inbred, though women committed adultery, lied, and stole, among other things. 3. In the Corinthian church, which had many problems, would Paul really assume that they were so grounded on the issue of hair? I find this quite difficult to believe when these people were getting drunk while celebrating the Lord's supper, conducting services which were not decent and orderly, divisions were among them, and incest was being committed, among other things. Even Paul said he had to speak to the Corinthians "as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ." (I Cor. 3:1) If the issue of hair carries such importance, Paul would never have assumed such a group of believers needed no instructions on the matter. 4. Was God short sighted that he could not see ahead to the controversy and struggle with the hair issue in the 20th century and not include clear commandments against a woman cutting her hair?

Surely if this were important to God, and knowing that women would freely cut their hair at a later point in history, wouldn't he have made certain that the matter was mentioned throughout his Word, just like he did with cheating, lying, and other sin? THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT What does the issue of the women's movement have to do with the issue of women's hair? It was stated that the "practice of cutting the hair of women was a worldly, sinful one, born out of the desire of women to 'break the chains' of responsibility to male authority. It was not introduced to our generation by a preacher, but by a dancer!" 21 Prior to this statement, the question is asked whose idea it was that a woman should be free to cut her hair. "Was a spiritual revival behind the flapper movement of the twenties? Did a Godly man or woman receive a revelation from above that cutting of women's hair should now be acceptable, after centuries of being a disgrace? Of course not." 22 We have already discussed the history of hair and have seen that it was cut or shaven in different societies at various times.

Nobody would say or believe (I hope) that a spiritual revival was behind the flapper movement. However, I do not know that Irene Castle was involved in the women's liberation movement. She and her husband were ballroom dancers. Why did she bob her hair? I do not know her motive and she is not alive to defend herself. (Note: Bobbed hair was not just hair that was cut, but hair that was cut short.) However, I did find a little information about her in the book, Notable American Women The Modern Period. "Irene Castle attributed their success to the fact that they were 'young, clean, married and well-mannered.' Credit must also be given to Irene Castle's appearance: extraordinarily graceful, slim and boyish, dressed in expensive but simple fashions, she was a refreshing change from the jewel-bedecked, elaborately dressed ladies of fashion. ...The Castles gave to the 'dance craze' an aura of elegance and respectability. ...Yet they de-emphasized the sensuality of the dances, playing up instead their grace and their value as exercise. Irene Castle also had a tremendous influence on fashion.

In emulation of her, women across the country bobbed their hair and adopted the headache band, the little Dutch cap, and the light, floating 'Castle frocks.'" 23 The book also notes that she attended National Park Seminary but didn't graduate. If anything is done out of rebellion it is wrong, yet that does not mean the act itself is wrong. It may or may not be wrong or sinful. Much of what we do revolves around our motive and the spirit in which it is done. It is a fact that hair trends change. Sometimes a hair style, etc. is accepted by society and other times it is not. Later, the same style could be acceptable. This does not mean that if hair was cut due to rebellion at one time in history that anyone who does so now is doing it in like manner. As with the earlier example on beards, at one point in the 1800s in America it wasn't considered proper, yet not much later it was looked upon in a favorable manner. One cannot say that all beards are wrong because at one time they were unacceptable by society or grown out of rebellion.

I believe that if something you want to do would presently associate you with something ungodly or would put your Christian reputation at stake, you should not do it. It might not be wrong in and of itself. A woman having her hair cut now does not associate herself with the women's liberation movement. She is not looked upon as being immoral. I know of no stigma attached to this except within some churches. A BRIEF LOOK IN THE PAST Why would something have to start from a godly person with a revelation in order for it to be acceptable? Other things are done or used by Christians which were not started by godly people. (I am not speaking about things which are clearly wrong in Scripture.) Is everything else we are allowed or not allowed to do judged in this same manner? How do we explain the time in Pentecostal movements when radio was rejected as vehemently as television is today, yet is accepted now? Television sets are disapproved because they display evil. So do radios. How do we also explain that wearing open toed shoes was once unacceptable, but is okay today? What about wearing the color red? These teachings were not started by 'worldly' people; they were godly people.

Yet, we find changes in these standards. Were they first revelations from God? If so, why did they change? If not, why were they imposed upon people? Could some teachings have been cultural? This is not being said to belittle or ridicule those who did or may still hold these beliefs. I do not doubt that many, perhaps all, who preached these standards were quite sincere and believed these things would be detrimental to the Christian. If a person feels something is wrong, they should not do it. This applies whether or not it is Bible doctrine. Something might be wrong for me, which may not be wrong for you, simply because it effects me adversely. This does not mean that it is wrong for everyone, nor that it should be preached as a church standard. In talking about building fences, Jerry Bridges tells of a family trip to a different beach, where he discovered very scantily clad women. After a brief time, he went to his car, thus avoiding temptation. He goes on to say, "Now suppose, because of my experience, I concluded that going to the beach would always lead to sin.

I could have said to my son, 'You are not to go to the beach anymore.' I could have begun to look down my religious nose at others who went to the beach. I would have built a permanent fence: 'Thou shalt not go to the beach.' In due time that fence would have had almost the same force in my thinking as the Ten Commandments, especially as I would use it to judge or influence others. That is the way a lot of manmade 'do's and don'ts' originate. They begin as a sincere effort to deal with real sin issues. But very often we begin to focus on the fence we've built instead of the sin it was designed to guard against. We fight our battle in the wrong places; we deal with externals instead of the heart." 24 On the other hand, God's standards are unchangeable and should be preached to all. They do not change with the times. Though places may legalize homosexuality, it will still be wrong biblically. That will never change. What then changed these and other teachings? Was it a biblical revelation in the beginning? It does not appear to be since the teaching has changed. Could it have been cultural?

The manner in which I have heard the shoes and red clothing explained it appear they were. Sometimes we can be overly zealous in our walk with God and incorporate man made teachings into God's doctrine. This is exactly what Jesus said of the Pharisees and scribes when he told them that they taught as doctrine the commandments of men. They elevated these things to be equal or above God's commandments. Outwardly, these men appeared righteous, but Jesus warned his disciples to beware of the doctrine of the Pharisees. They were in the habit of building too many fences. ..... Footnotes: 1 Daniel L. Segraves, Women's Hair: The Long and Short of It (Dupo: The Good Word, 1979), 14. 2 Ibid., 6. 3 Ibid., 41. 4 James Strong, S.T.D., LL. D., Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible (Nashville: Abingdon, 1980), 77 Hebrew dictionary. 5 Ibid., 28 Hebrew dictionary. 6 Ibid., 97 Hebrew dictionary. 7 Daniel L.

Segraves, Women's Hair: The Long and Short of It (Dupo: The Good Word, 1979), 15. 8 Dictionary of American History, Revised ed., vol. III (New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1976), 239. 9 Britannica Micropaedia Ready Reference, Volume 5, 1992 ed., s.v. "Hairdressing," 622. 10 Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, Volume 12, 1993 ed., s.v. "Hairdressing," 331-333. 11 The World Book Encyclopedia, 1993 ed., s.v. "Hairdressing," 11,12. 12 Encyclopedia Americana Deluxe Library Edition, Volume 13, 1990 ed., s.v. "Hairdressing," 691-695. 13 Dictionary of American History, Revised ed., vol. III (New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1976), 239.

14 William Smith, The New Smith's Bible Dictionary, Revised ed. (Garden City: Doubleday-Galilee Book, 1966), 131-132. 15 Compiled by T.A. Bryant, Today's Dictionary Of The Bible (Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1982), 275. 16 The New Bible Dictionary: Second Edition, Edited by JD Douglas, FF Bruce, JI Packer, et. al., Revised ed. (1962; reprint, Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1986), 449, 1259. 17 The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, General editor Merrill C. Tenney, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids: The Zondervan Corporation, 1976), 15-16. 18 John L. McKenzie, S.J., Dictionary of the Bible (New York: Macmillan Co., 1965), 331-333. 19 The Bible Almanac, Edited by J.I. Packer, Merrill C.

Tenney, William White, Jr. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1980), 484. 20 See footnote number 1. 21 Daniel L. Segraves, Women's Hair: The Long and Short of It (Dupo: The Good Word, 1979), 17. 22 Ibid. 23 Notable American Women The Modern Period: A Biographical Dictionary, Edited by Barbara Sicherman & Carol Hurd Green, et. al. (Cambridge: Belknap Press, 1980), 142-143. 24 Jerry Bridges, Transforming Grace: Living Confidently in God's Unfailing Love (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1991), 123. You may write Lois at the email address displayed in the image. No correspondence that seeks to debate will be answered as I have no desire to debate. Understand that due to the volume of mail, not every email may be acknowledged.

Question: What name is given to the uncut locks of hair worn on the sides of the head by orthodox male Jews?
Answer: Payess