Torah, Judaism and Jewish Networking

To all the beardless response -- and the unfortunate practice of closing discussion threads

Recently, the thread "to all the beardless" was closed. This is not the first thread closed by the author. Another example is "a warning about playing ball games." Unfortunately, this gives the impression to readers of the thread that, in contentious topics, the author had such a compelling argument and that the disputant was unable to respond. It is one thing to grow tired of a contentious discussion and therefore close it. It is quite another to first respond, and then close discussions.

This, I think, is a problem with the medium. And it extends to blogs created here as well, where the person who starts the blog can moderate replies, not letting through those which one does not like.

I have a ready answer for the recent postings on that thread, and an explanation of why I do not find this convincing. But alas, I have grown tired of this discussion, and will not bother replying to the thread even if it were opened. So I will just let it be known that my silence is not admission, and that if anyone following this thread really desires to know of my response to this, they can email me for it.

Kol Tuv,
Josh

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3 Comments

Comment by David Ben-Abraham on November 10, 2008 at 2:24pm: I have decided to close the thread, "To All The Beardless...," since it was beginning to be obvious that you have made it an aim of yours to "counter by objection" anything that we should post on that thread, trying to keep the "machalokes" alive with respect to shaving off one's beard, and, in essence, confusing a lot of potentially good Torah observant Yids that might be seriously contemplating the matter of whether or not to grow out a beard. You said that you could have argued in favour of beard growing better than what I did, or at least, in not using the electric razor on one's beard. Perhaps you could have, as I know very little about the mechanics of that shaving device. I have never looked at one myself. However, I do rely upon the professional opinion of others who have looked into the device. But, really, this is not the issue. We have a custom. The custom is to grow out a beard. Nothing can be more plain than this. Perhaps you should consider bringing down the arguments of the opposing side, as you said you could do that very well - despite your own personal views about the subject. This would, in fact, be doing a service to the GY forum, and you would have rectified yourself in a certain way.

David

David

Comment by David Ben-Abraham on November 10, 2008 at 2:38pm: Rabbi Rueven Feinstein שליט"א says that his father, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein z"l, would only permit the use of electric shavers when they met two conditions, but that now these conditions do not exist in any of the electric shavers. Therefore, he says, his father's permit no longer applies to us today.

- Kuntres Sam Chaim, התשס"א
# 38.

Comment by Rabbi Joshua Waxman on November 10, 2008 at 2:45pm: I won't close this thread. But I won't reply to this either. If anyone is interesting in my reply, they may email me privately.

Kol Tuv,
Josh