In light of quark2’s mention of the Ramchal having shaved, I decided to dig this up. Is there any reliable proof of the Ramchal having shaved? Did he shave as a Bachur or later on as well? How about when he moved on to Eretz Yisroel? The interesting thing is that you don’t find this mentioned amongst the many complaints that his contemporaries had on him.
There was a mention here of the Rama Miphano having shaved. That comes from the Teshuvos Be’er Esek, that heard from his Rebbe, that the Rama Miphano shaved every Erev Shabbos. The Ri Irgis (Shomer Emunim – Hakadmon) dismisses this off hand, and refused to believe it.
I saw in the Ben Ish Chai that someone asked him if he can shave for business purposes. The Ben Ish Chai allowed him to do so. He explained that leaving the roots of the hairs will be a Siman for the channels of Kedusha that they represent (and which Joseph explained at length, for some reason).
The Tur can be explained as referring to the Mashal, which is not necessarily talking about a Yid. However, the simple reading would suggest that they at least trimmed. The Maharil on Sefira is also Mashma that he trimmed.
The Chafetz Chaim, in his Kuntres against shaving focuses the whole work on the problem of the machine. Only in the beginning does he try to find a rational as to why we don’t trim. He says, probably it was to show that we are careful not to be Over on Ta’ar. He also adds that perhaps the Minhag of the Mekubalim became widespread. Then he writes that since it was accepted as a Din that we don’t shave at all, it should be followed.
There is no doubt that the Arizal taught that you shouldn’t touch the beard. That can be taken literally or as not to cut it. It should be realized, though, that Inyanim in the Arizal are for a level of Hisdabkus, they aren’t Halachos. Even the Arizal violated his own teachings when it was impractical.
By the way, the Shaalos Teshuvos Min Shamayim (Shaala 36) seems to be Machmir on scissors.