122 Richard Rosenthal
want to dye their beards because they look older than their actual age. This is damaging them because they cannot make proper marriages or they are denied promotions in their professions or businesses. He discusses the long history of the questions. Dyeing of beards has been forbidden for a number of reasons, but the essential question is whether the prohibition is from the Torah or from the rabbis. Then we should also ask whether in the present question men are affecting the style of women by beautifying themselves or are attempting to mislead others about their true age for their personal profit. He permits dyeing, but he also cautions that one must tell one’s true age.”
Similarly, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein permits the dyeing of beards when it is not an attempt to defraud by deception.” Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Waldenberg permits the plucking of white hairs out of a black beard when the purpose is not beautification but simply to shape the beard properly. He permits this, although plucking is one of the specific acts the Talmud forbids. But he shows that this prohibition is rabbinic, which inclines him to permit.”
Both Rabbi Weinberg and Rabbi Feinstein in the above responsa also speak about men using mirrors. They see this as customary usage for men in our society. This is how men groom themselves. Indeed, both add that it is especially important for Torah scholars to appear in public well dressed. Otherwise they would bring dishonor on the Torah . Rabbi Ovadiah Yossef also gives permission for men to use mirrors quoting the Talmud : “Any scholar upon whose garment a[grease] stain is found is worthy of death.”¢' His conclusion:“In our time it is also the custom of men to look in the mirror, it has no aspect of‘a man
shall not wear a woman's garment,’ and it is permitted.”® Thus
it is custom, the way of the world, of Jews and non-Jews , that determines the permitted practice for men.
In two cases regarding women the decisors are lenient. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein is asked whether women who live in Gush Ezion on the West Bank may carry pistols to protect themselves against Arabs . He permits it because“in places that are close to murderous Arabs who have no normal fear of the government, it is permitted for women to bear arms not only to save themselves from actual killing but also from the strikes in skirmishes that necessarily involve both women and men.* His lan