🧵on sidelocks פאות

1) The first question I always get when travelling in the West is why we grow long sidelocks?

The short answer is: it's not a fashion statement but rather an ancient Jewish tradition dating back at least 3,000 years

But there is much more to it...
2) The source for sidelocks in the Torah is in Leviticus 19:27

You shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard

לֹ֣א תַקִּ֔פוּ פְּאַ֖ת רֹאשְׁכֶ֑ם וְלֹ֣א תַשְׁחִ֔ית אֵ֖ת פְּאַ֥ת זְקָנֶֽךָ
3) The Mishna and Talmud discussed various opinions as to the definition of the "corner of the head"

The rationale was to differentiate from idol worshippers who shaved the side of their heads at the time

Yemeni and Hassidic Jews would let their sidelocks grow particularly long
4) We have evidence of sidelocks from the 5th Century via the Jewish Himyarite Kingdom that ruled #Yemen at the time. The King Yusuf Asar Yathar was nicknamed Dhu Nuwas ذُو نُوَاس which means "The one with sidelocks" in Arabic

Sidelocks are prevalent in Himyarite era coins
5) We also have evidence from several early authentic Islamic scholars

For example, Abdullah ibn Masud عبد الله بن مسعود a companion of Muhammad and one of the most prominent authors of the Hadith claims another of Muhammad's companions is Jewish because he grew 2 sidelocks
6) In #Yemen all Jews grew long sidelocks

This tradition can be seen in pictures and videos of our community from both South and North Yemen
7) Yemenis call sidelocks simonim סימנים which literally means signs or marks

While Ashkenazis do not cut children's hair until age 3, Yemeni Jews follow a different custom, and hence kids start growing out their sidelocks as soon as they are born 👶🏾
8) Contrary to popular belief, this tradition is not limited to Yemeni and Hassidic Jews. Prior to the 20th Century, many Jewish communities across the globe followed this tradition

Here is a picture of a Jew from Cochin #India 🇮🇳 circa 1900
9) Although sidelocks were not common in North Africa in the 1950s, we see them everywhere 20 years earlier. Rav Yoseph Messas said Moroccan Jews traditionally grew sidelocks but stopped due to French influence

A Jew from the Atlas Mountains in #Morocco🇲🇦with long sidelocks
10) And here is a picture of children with sidelocks from Tiznit #Morocco🇲🇦 taken in 1935
11) The influence of Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism) had an effect on the tradition of sidelocks

The Arizal, a famous 16th C mystical Rabbi, warned that sidelocks should not cover the ears

This influence can be seen on Rabbi Haim Doweck of Allepo #Syria 🇸🇾 who had shorter sidelocks
12) The same can be seen in early pictures from Uzbekistan 🇺🇿 where Jews grew short sidelocks and shaved the rest of their hair
13) In the Hassidic world sidecurls are a very strong tradition. The Belz Rebbe had a famous saying in Yiddish that longer sidecurls showcase one's fear of God
14) Even within the Hassidic world, there are somewhat different traditions

Satmar Hassidim have a tradition to grow thicker sidecurls
15) Bresolv Hassidim grow very long sidecurls

This is based on the mystical teaching of Rabbi Nachman of Breslev that one who grows long sidecurls will be pulled out of the hellfire only if they are long enough 🔥
16) Even if you think someone doesn't have sidecurls, look closely!

Lithuanian Jews (non Hassidic) typically fold their sidelocks behind their ears
17) Today in #Israel, sidecurls are very popular and can be seen everywhere

For example, on the Israeli version of "American Idol"

18) Even on some news anchors, something which would have been unimaginable a decade ago
19) It's also interesting to see the tradition of sidecurls being adopted by communities that did not originally have this custom

Popular #Ethiopian Rabbi Baruch Gezhayi
20) So hopefully the next time you see someone with sidecurls you won't think it's strange! 🙏🏾

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More from @ZechariahSharab

Nov 21, 2023
🧵 1) The Mufti of #Jerusalem, Amin al-Husseini, was the founder of Palestinian Nationalism and a Nazi collaborator

In his early writings, he identified as a South Syrian

However, as more Jews arrived and bought land in #Israel, he shifted to a new form of local nationalism Image
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He even visited concentration camps in Europe in order to learn first hand about their systems and techniques Image
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Nov 20, 2023
🧵 1) Amazing how the staff at al-Shifa, the largest hospital in #Gaza was complicit with hostages and rape victims from #Israel being dragged into their property by #Hamas terrorists on October 7th Image
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Oct 30, 2023
🧵1) The Houthis recently made the news with attempted rocket attacks on #Israel but they have been wreaking havoc in #Yemen for over a decade

Like #Hamas, The Houthis are funded by #Iran. They killed over 500,000 Yemenis and ethnically cleansed Yemen's entire Jewish community Image
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Despite pleas from human rights organizations, the Houthis continued shelling civilians, starving the population, and not allowing any humanitarian aid Image
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Our revered Sage Rabbi Shalom Shabazi's tomb is in Taiz, and there are rumors they damaged it as well Image
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May 18, 2023
🧵1) Margalit Zinati is not Sephardic, Ashkenazi, or Yemeni

Her family has lived in the Galilee continuously for over 2,000 years. She comes from a family of Cohanim who left #Jerusalem upon the destruction of the 2nd Temple and found safe haven in the town of Peki'in Image
2) Peki'in was a #Jewish village since the time of the Temple and is mentioned extensively throughout the Mishna and Talmud.

It is recorded that the influential Sage Rabbi Yehoshua and his many disciples set up their Yeshiva in Peki'in Image
3) The #Jewish population of Peki'in saw a significant drop during the Crusader and Mamluk period. During the early Mamluk period documents show the growing presence of #Druze in the village. But #Jews continued living in the village throughout, the majority of which were Kohanim Image
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May 1, 2023
🧵The #Cairo Geniza is a collection of 400,000 #Jewish manuscript fragments which were stored in the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Fostat #Egypt 🇪🇬

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2) The Torah forbids throwing away writings containing the name of God. It was common to open personal letter with an invocation of God so this rule is not limited to religious materials

All such documents must be stored in a separate archive, and the buried in a cemetery Image
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As such, the Geniza gives us a unique peek into the past

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Mar 14, 2023
🧵on the Talmud תלמוד

1) Social media is full of fake quotes attributed to the Talmud and myths about "talmudic rituals"

It's due time for some truth and education about the Talmud!

The central text recording the ancient oral traditions of Judaism
2) Originally, Jewish scholarship was oral and transferred from one generation to the next

Rabbis expounded and debated the Torah without the benefit of recording the discussions or conclusions

Traditions were transferred from Rabbi to student, from parents to their children
3) Following the Roman destruction of the 2nd Temple in #Jerusalem in 70 BCE, the traditional system oral scholarship could no longer be maintained

It is during this period that rabbinic discourse began to be recorded in writing
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