Reply To: how do Israelis shave?

In truth : “puk mo amo diber”. Regardless of some of the quotes from previous Poskim (out of context, by the way) it is clear that shaving one’s beard by permissible means is allowed. This has been the custom of millions of jews in the past centuries and this would not have been allowed if it was indeed an “issur d’oraisa”. In addition, as some posters have written, only the removal of the beard by means of “hashchossoh” (destroying the roots)with a knife is an issur de’oraisa, but any other way clearly is not ossur. Even the ones who question the use of electric shavers fully accept that you can use depilatory creams and remove the WHOLE beard. So, there cannot be a question of “lo yilbash”. ravshalom is right in saying that the shaving of a beard (in a permissible way) is a matter of Kabbalah and minhagim. The shulchan aruch also allows trimming mustaches (see hilchos aveilus).