The US Marines used to mandate that all soldiers pull their facial skin tight to shave, despite this causing many Black Marines to get infectious ingrown hairs due to their inherently curly hair type... Eventually this unreasonable rule was modified. When I grow a beard I get a skin rash due to the accumulation of facial oils (my dermatologist diagnosed it), so I shave with electric clippers as close as I can about once per week (never clean shaven, but no beard). As the preservation of life supersedes all other mitzvahs, I feel Ha Shem would want for me to do what is best for my health... After all, He made me the way I am.
You are more correct than Rabbi Bar Haim with all due respect to him, on this. Especially because in many Gentile societies it is the common thing for men to go unshaven and have beards and moustaches. There is absolutely no difference between Jews and Gentiles when it comes to beards or no beards.
So, in other words, our decision should be based on what our motives are. What always helps, would be to understand the reasoning behind the prohibition. I understand it is the type of instrument used that is forbidden and not the shaving of the beard itself. On the other hand, there are many poskim that say one may always shave their beard, regardless of motive.
not to be ad hominem, but what about wearing a tie? IMO this is more 'cultural appropriation' than shaving. It is known that the Ramchal trimmed his beard and got a lot of flack on this from some big Rabbis specifically R. Joseph Ergas. but he [probably]trimmed it with a scissors. An interesting side note, is by the Chassidim it supposedly comes from the Ari OB who actually used the לשון ' לא לעקור או לתלוש but they went totally extreme on this and other 'minhagim.
The US Marines used to mandate that all soldiers pull their facial skin tight to shave, despite this causing many Black Marines to get infectious ingrown hairs due to their inherently curly hair type... Eventually this unreasonable rule was modified.
When I grow a beard I get a skin rash due to the accumulation of facial oils (my dermatologist diagnosed it), so I shave with electric clippers as close as I can about once per week (never clean shaven, but no beard). As the preservation of life supersedes all other mitzvahs, I feel Ha Shem would want for me to do what is best for my health... After all, He made me the way I am.
You are more correct than Rabbi Bar Haim with all due respect to him, on this.
Especially because in many Gentile societies it is the common thing for men to go unshaven and have beards and moustaches. There is absolutely no difference between Jews and Gentiles when it comes to beards or no beards.
So, in other words, our decision should be based on what our motives are.
What always helps, would be to understand the reasoning behind the prohibition.
I understand it is the type of instrument used that is forbidden and not the shaving of the beard itself.
On the other hand, there are many poskim that say one may always shave their beard, regardless of motive.
not to be ad hominem, but what about wearing a tie? IMO this is more 'cultural appropriation' than shaving. It is known that the Ramchal trimmed his beard and got a lot of flack on this from some big Rabbis specifically R. Joseph Ergas. but he [probably]trimmed it with a scissors. An interesting side note, is by the Chassidim it supposedly comes from the Ari OB who actually used the לשון ' לא לעקור או לתלוש but they went totally extreme on this and other 'minhagim.