I noticed that certain chassidim or Heimish types who have peyos behind their ears will pull them out prior to Davening Shemoneh Esrai and have them usually in a bit of a mess in front of their ears. I am not sure what its all about and would like to know why they do it and where this minhag came from.
Thanks!
I think the bigger question is why was it behind their ears in the first place. :)
I *think* that my DH wears his behind his ears because his father did.
but daily, after the mikvah, he wears his foot-longs out so that they can dry (?)
insofar as your question, OP-- I'm not in the men's section during davening, so I don't know what's going on.. nor why.
@WIY ~ I heard once that in Kaballah it says that you shouldn't have any hair behind your ears when Davening Shemoneh Esrei, I'm not exactly sure as to the reason for that though...
@shlishi ~ What's wrong with having one's Peyos behind one's ear?
@always here ~ I like the way you call them 'foot-longs' ;), I do the same, but not for it to dry, cuz in order to curl them up behind your ear you need it to be wet, I guess it's just laziness, and he doesn't do as long as he doesn't have to (that's my reason at least)...
@aWebDeveloper ~
Perhaps your response to WIY is the answer to your question to me.
In Poland they curled up their payes behind their ears because the goyim used to pull at them and tear them out.
aWebDeveloper~ I put a '(?)' after I posted that cuz I just *figured* it's to let them dry.
I might be wrong but when I was a child I was told that it has to do with a certein Zohar, go figure.
I just asked my DH.. he said they happened to have discussed this in his shiur last week. he said al pi Kabbalah they should be worn behind the ears. he said one Chossid [in his shiur] said he does take his peyos out before S'E (my husband said he's "seen this for years already"); my DH doesn't know the reason why-- minhag.
sorry, that's all I could get ;)
IDK, but when I first saw it, I thought it was because the person is showing to Hashem that he is a loyal follower. It's like an soldier putting on his dress uniform before meeting the pres.
Better reception
Many people tuck themselves in and brush themselves off, straighten their ties, etc before shmoneh esre because it's the halacha to do so even though it's not m'akev (Rambam hilchos tefillah ch. 5) It could be that the people who do that see having their peyos in front as more fitting.
It is supposed to be a Zohar Hakadosh that blocking your ears during the Teffila will block it from the heavenly gates (ears). I once saw that the Chazon Ish was asked about this, and he said it should be the other way around, you should put it behind the ears so as not to block the opening. Then he said, "why would someone want to hide is Peyos?"
nishtdayngesheft: Better reception
LOL!!! ☺ <Like!>
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