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Other than growing one’s peyos long, are there any other examples of a hiddur on a lav?
Not shaving one’s beard at all (according to those opinions that shaving is permitted, it would be a hiddur not to shave at all, and so writes Rav Belsky zatzal in Shulchan Halevi)
Not eating gebrots, etc. because it might be chametz – even though really it’s not
Not using an eruv on Shabbos even if it’s allowed
Women being extra modest (more than required by halacha)
Cleaning one’s house of chametz more than is required by halacha
Why would not using an eiruv on Shabbos be a hiddur Mitzvah?
It’s allowed from the letter of the law to carry if there is an eruv, but it’s a hiddur not to. Hiddur means doing a mitzvah (e.g., keeping Shabbos) in a better way than is required from the letter of the law.
So if I want to take a snack to shul on Shabbos for the children where there’s an eiruv, I would get an extra Mitzvah not to take it? (Or if I were to bring it before Shabbos.)
And if longer peyos is a hiddur Mitzvah, why isn’t it more common?
Joseph – Surely you realize that the eruiv is not kosher according to ALL opinions, right? And that it relies on certain halachic compromises? (We are talking a community-wide eruv.) There were gedolim (probably including the Chofetz Chaim) who did not (personally) rely on any eruv, even though of course there were eruvin in Europe and life would have been easier if he did rely on them.
Would you eat food that was questionably kosher? If no, then why do you rely on an eruv that is questionably kosher?
From Revach:
The Arizal would not let his Peyos grow longer than the required length andwould cut them when they exceeded that length. The Shineveh Rebbe told the Darkei Tshuva (181:15) that this is based on what Rav Chaim Vitalwrote regarding long hair.
In a letter to Rav Menashe Klein (Mishneh Halachos 5:124) a questioner wanted to know why, based on this, is it permitted to grow peyos beyond the required length? Rav Menashe Klein writes that although he does not want to c”v argue with the Shineveh Rebbe, however the Shulchan Aruch explicitly writes that one should not touch his peyos. Furthermore we don’t find anywhere any issur to let them grow. Also it is known that Rebbi Akiva Eiger wouldnot even brush his peyos with a comb. Moreover he says, he has seen Shineveh grandchildren with long peyos.
In 4:116 Rav Menashe Klein plays on the words of the mishna referring to the mitzva to leave Pei’a in the field. “Eilu Devarim She’ein Lahem Shiur Hapei’a”, these are the things that have no limit, the peyos.
Interestingly in 6:149 he brings from the Maharshal that one should not cut his hair except opposite the back of his neck for health reasons. This goes against the Machatzis HaShekel who says that long hair is a Chatzitza for tefilin. He also brings from the Ibn Ezra who says that in principle one should never cut his hair or beard as it is the Tiferes of a person, although the actual issur of the Torah in only applies to the peyos.
Simcha613, I don’t think the line between chumra and hiddur is quite as clearly defined as that.
For example, the Mishnah B’rurah says that keeping chumros in esrog (not necessarily in beauty, but in kashrus) is a kiyum of hidur mitzvah.
Which poskim consider gebrots to be chametz? I guess it is more properly called a minhag, or a chumra.
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