Matisyahu's Shocking Shave: What Does Facial Hair Have To Do With Spirituality?

Early this morning, "Hasidic reggae superstar" Matisyahu shocked the (Jewish) world with a tweet declaring, "At the break of day I look for you at sunrise When the tide comes in I lose my disguise," and including links to bare-faced photos of himself.

Several hours later, Matis followed up on his website:

Sorry folks, all you get is me…no alias. When I started becoming religious 10 years ago it was a very natural and organic process. It was my choice. My journey to discover my roots and explore Jewish spirituality—not through books but through real life. At a certain point I felt the need to submit to a higher level of religiosity…to move away from my intuition and to accept an ultimate truth. I felt that in order to become a good person I needed rules—lots of them—or else I would somehow fall apart. I am reclaiming myself. Trusting my goodness and my divine mission.

Across various media outlets -- social and otherwise -- fans and journalists jumped on the facial revelation, declaring Matisyahu's Hasidic days over. The always-irreverent Heeb Magazine claims this leap of face means that the musician has gone completely secular:

We take Miller’s words to mean that he’s done with Orthodoxy and is going to trust his own inner-spirituality. He is also no longer calling himself Matisyahu and intends to rebirth himself as a secular, albeit spiritual, musician.

But Matisyahu maintains he's on a spiritual mission.

So which is it? And how does hair truly reflect religious devotion? Not surprisingly, it's up for debate.

UPDATE: Matisyahu added clarification on his Facebook page at 4:15 p.m.: "For all of those who are being awesome, you are awesome. For all those who are confused: today I went to the Mikva and Shul just like yesterday."

In other words, he performed the same ritual observances today as any day. So it's confirmed: Beardless religious Jews exist.

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[koushnik]

11:18 AM on 12/19/2011

He looks like kevin federline without it...

[Cranmer1549]

10:10 AM on 12/19/2011

"So it's confirmed: Beardless religious Jews exist."

Uh, that's about the dumbest statement I've ever heard.

[Richard Boudreaux]

06:03 PM on 12/18/2011

Good for you, Matisyahu!!! You are still the brilliant artist and faithful Hasidic, with, or without, your beard. You are YOU, and that's a beautiful person, an astounding artist. I love you, your lyrics, your spirit, your kindness... NOT your beard!!!

I'm going through kinda the same thing, right now--grew a beard for "No-shave November" for mens' health, and now 2/3 through December, I'm having difficulty shaving it off. It's become a very essential part of who I am. Kudos for shedding that very familiar, very comfortable body part! I hope I can follow your courageous example!

[I Make Stuff]

11:30 AM on 12/17/2011

It looks like another prank from Sasha baron Cohen...

[Teacher Trish]

01:30 AM on 12/15/2011

One of the modern world's great tensions - to celebrate individualism or collectivism? Somewhere we all have found that "sweet spot" in the middle that works for us. But the very idea that we get to choose where to stand on that continuum intrinsically favors the wisdom of the individual over that of traditional society.

What to do? What to do?

[singermuse]

07:49 PM on 12/14/2011

He is the same beautiful person, with or without the beard. I have no doubt that his heart is full of faith regardless of outward appearances. His music speaks to so many hearts and I think this will continue.

[PATOISJAM]

03:22 PM on 12/14/2011

I love the beard

[Danmcc455]

12:08 PM on 12/14/2011

Honestly, despite of the religiosity of many of his songs, I've always liked Matisyahu. There is little enough actually good rap music as it is. It also helps that he was always genuine, honest, and not really trying to convert anyone.

[pbennett13]

12:08 PM on 12/14/2011

Wow!! Religion is becoming true faith!! I pray your journey is a successful one

[Niele]

11:50 AM on 12/14/2011

Matthew, Keep "Strippin’ away the layers and reveal your soul". :)

[Cranmer1549]

11:11 AM on 12/14/2011

I love Matis and had no idea that he's now such a star that TMZ followed his beard drama all day yesterday!

[ctekin]

10:21 AM on 12/14/2011

Sounds like his spiritual progression has brought him to the point of rejecting dogma.

[Sam D man]

09:16 AM on 12/14/2011

Facial hair, clothing, amulets and certaing demeanors in behaviour are only a way of an individual portraying his/her association to a collectivity.They are man's stipulations by which members show uniformity/harmony amongs it fellow members.What does it have to do with Spirituality ? ABSOLUTLY NOTHING AT ALL. Our outward vestiments are no match to the concupiscence that constanly are pulling us astray. God made man and woman and put them in the garden.With no clothes.When they sinned they whent and made garments but when God came looking for them...
We all know the rest of the story.

[one1byke]

07:25 AM on 12/14/2011

What's a "Reggae"?

And, how did M'yahu and Courtney Stodden end up with the same kind of Press?

[Red Leaves]

12:13 AM on 12/14/2011

Good on you, Matisyahu.