“Rather Cut Off My Hand, but Don't Touch My Beard"

I merited hearing the following story from the grandson of the Kapischnitzer Rebbe zt’l (R’ Avrohom Yehoshua Heschel, 1888-1967), who heard it directly from his grandfather.

[It was recently published in “Heroes of Spirit – 100 Rabbinic Tales of the Holocaust” by Rabbi Dovid Hoffman (Israel Bookshop, 2009), pg. 320].
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The Kapischnitzer Rebbe zt’l was one of the most widely respected and beloved Torah leaders of our times*. With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Rebbe fled with his family to Vienna.

When Jewish life was shattered by the German occupation of Vienna, the Rebbe was seized, and forced to clean the streets, to the amusement of the jeering Germans.

On one occasion, in an attempt to humiliate the Rebbe, the Germans sent one of their offices with a scissors, to cut off his beard. The Rebbe promptly stuck out his hand and told the officer, “Rather cut off my hand, but don’t touch my beard.” The German, startled by the Rebbe’s courage, miraculously left without carrying out his evil orders.

[ The Kapischnitzer Rebbe won the respect and the esteem of all the gedolim of his era. He was a member of Moetzes Gedolei Torah of Agudas Yisroel, and founding member of Chinuch Atzmai.

The Ponovezer Rov, R’ Yosef Kahanaman zt’l, would often say, that from the day the Chofetz Chaim was niftar, he hadn't had a Rebbe, until he met the Kapischnitzer Rebbe.]
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Throughout Jewish history, Jews were moser nefesh not to cut their beards. An entire chapter in sefer Hadras Ponim Zokon (Part II, Chapter 14), features documented, amazing incidents regarding Jews of all backgrounds, who risked their lives and livelihoods, rather than cut their beards -- including under Nazi persecution during World War II, and under Communist persecution in Russia.

“Jews considered the beard, as ‘an organ, on which the soul depends’....

The possibility of living without a hand or a foot, was more acceptable, [even to a simple Jew], than the possibility of living without a beard. (Imrei Simchah, Vol. I, p. 310).
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For a comprehensive treatment, regarding the cutting and growth of the beard, in Jewish law, please see sefer Hadras Ponim - Zokon

[A third, greatly expanded edition (1,024 pages), is now available at Seforim stores].

The sefer may also be purchased on-line at:
http://store.kehotonline.com/index.php?stocknumber=HL-HADR&deptid=&parentid=&page=1&itemsperpage=10

or (for the deluxe edition) at:

http://store.kehotonline.com/index.php?stocknumber=HL-HADR.D&deptid=&parentid=&page=1&itemsperpage=10

Rabbi Moshe Wienerm.wiener@jccgci.org