Reb Eliezer,
Please don’t misquote the Tzemach Tzedek. According to him, a person is oiver 5 aveiros for every time he shaves. He is the most stringent authority in regards to this matter, and he was attacked by many poskim for his opinion.
When R’ Efraim Mol was told during the Yom Kippur war that there would be a gas attack, and he would have to shave his beard, the Rebbe told him that there would be no gas attack, and that at if the supervisors pressed him, he should tell them that the indian Sikhs wore their masks even without a beard. In the end, there was no gas attack and everything worked out fine.
Considering that Chabad.org is the safest, oldest, most famous, most popular Jewish website, I’m sure YW will have no problem with me posting the following link, although the official policy is that links are not accepted. Thanks