Singer Matisyahu Shaves His Beard

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matisyahuA beardless Matisyahu posted a picture of himself today to Twitter. He has issued the following statement:

NOTE FROM MATISYAHU

This morning I posted a photo of myself on Twitter.

No more Chassidic reggae superstar.

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. matisyahu-no-beardIt 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.

Get ready for an amazing year filled with music of rebirth. And for those concerned with my naked face, don’t worry…you haven’t seen the last of my facial hair.

– Matisyahu

{Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}


54 COMMENTS

  1. The big question is: Is he staying frum? It makes a big difference bec. he is a role model for many modern-ortho kids.
    It’s hard to know what “Divine mission” he has in mind, although when he says “you haven’t seen the last of my facial hair” he may be referring to sefira & the 3 weeks.

  2. unless the music is “misinai” (i.e., the technical term in chazanus referring to ancient melodies- albeit often only dating back to the dark ages) NO MUSIC IS JEWISH — countless chassidishe niggunim are polish bar songs; countless sephardi niggunim are arab songs — this whole concept of JEWISH music is recent construct — Judaism has ALWAYS drawn musical influences from the world around them — Matisyahu’s regge is just as Jewish as say a niggun sung at a tisch.

  3. I went to the same baal-teshuva Lubavitch yeshiva Matis did. We overlapped for a little while there. I’ve followed his musical career with pride.

    I am now sitting here with tears.

    Yes, Matis, there is Ultimate Truth. And we need those rules.

    Right now I think of Tanya Chapter 30 right that I can’t judge you because I am not in your place and don’t know your temptations or how I’d fare with them if I was going through ’em myself, but I am desperately davening for you to come back…

    … you sweet sweet neshama.

  4. In other words the beard was never about being religious. Please let this be a lesson next time a “rock star” professes to be a Chassidic Jew. It’s a contradiction in terms no matter how much you like his music.

  5. “1. Comment from chaim
    Time December 13, 2011 at 2:40 PM

    Nothing Jewish about Regga or Rapp.”

    Clearly our Chaimke does not know Rapp-aport.

  6. He was a Lubavitcher, then he went to the Karliner Chassidim.

    Where is he going now?

    Did he try being a Litvak?

    What are his family roots?

    Note to Matisyahu: You can try a different derech even with a beard.

  7. Mat is Yahoo
    Matis ya who?
    Does he make a difference? Will he? with a beard… without… Doesn’t matter

    Life is a narrow bridge, the important thing is to not be afraid.

  8. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck… I have found it upsetting for a long time that good Jewish kids were listening to his music and considering him someone to look up to. Just another example of how destructive secular influences can be. H-m yishmor

  9. He was being used for PR. It wasn’t about what was best for him but about what was best for the “cause” (messianisim etc.). It ended up hurting him. Same with Dr. Laura Schlessinger.

  10. Can we resist the temptation to assume that the style of music was the cause of hie beardlessness? Clearly his is an interesting Neshama which seeks outlets. It can’t be killed with Mussar because you kill the man. You can try and channel it via more mystical approaches, but there is no guarantee. Like all of us, he is on a journey. Don’t criticise him. If you see him, engage him in learning; it doesn’t matter what, as long as it’s Torah.

    If you tell your kids this is what happens if you listen to Rap, then you are simply transgressing ???? ??? ????. Be thoughtful, people.

    To the person who wrote H-m Yishmor, you may as well have written Hashem Yishmor since you equate H-m with Hashem, so they have the same “kedusha”.

  11. Many frum men shave; having a beard does not “make” a person frum. Matisyahu has to live with himself. He could be having a “midlife crisis.” It’s okay to question one’s religiosity, value system, beliefs, etc. He can choose whatever stream of Judaism suits him. B”H he is NOT renouncing Torah. I just hope his transition does not negatively affect his family.

  12. The man said nothing about being frum — he actually didn’t say much of anything at all. All he said was that he shaved his beard. And you go and jump to conclusions.

  13. The Satmar Rav was once talking to someone who was clean shaven and some of the chassidim were chuckling to themselves, wondering why the Rebbe is speaking with such a person. The Rebbe recognized their confusion and said to them: When he dies the heavenly court is going to ask him “Reb Yid, where is your beard?” But when you die they are going to ask you: “Reb beard, where is your Yid?”

  14. i punkt loved his chanuka song. the music video was surprisingly ‘innapropriate’ (being there was a female figure skater) Most, i assume expected this sooner or later.

  15. 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.”
    Huffington Post

  16. An Update from Matisyahu’s Twitter:

    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
    6 hours ago

  17. Mattisyahu performed in “mosh pits” and casinos.
    He performed before mixed audiences
    He performed before audiences that were drunk and doing drugs.
    He cut an album with a christian rock group (P.O.D.) that included liner notes thanking “Theri Lord and Savior…” you know who.
    None of this should come as a surprise. Nor should it be a surprise when he “comes out” as a “messianic”

  18. to no.3, I don’t where you were brought up: but the previous Rebbes didn’t hang around in bars, use the term bars on the modern day so called music with the entertainers featured at your chasunas to-day: not the holy Negunim that were created by Rebbes of yesteryear

  19. To number #43 and #38
    crawl out of your caves —
    I do know a few things that’s why i said them — if you can show otherwise – then you say them.

    don’t just attack me with your empty statements.

    and I apologize for using the term bar -perhaps Inn would be more appropriate to your rosy glasses – but its all the same.

  20. What a sweet neshama.
    For Years we davened for him.
    He was so good but his path is/Was fraught with danger.

    To live as a Kadosh one must live in the Reshus Hayachid. But He wanted to bring the Reshus Hayachid To The Reshus Harabim. The only problem is you stay in the Reshus Harabim Too long you finally realize you no longer relate to the Reshus HaYachid.

    We will NEVER stop davening for this precious and Holy Yid.

  21. from twitter: matisyahu Matisyahu
    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
    12 hours ago

  22. At least he is searching for emes and going through ups and downs… finding the place that he fits… you (we)’re all sitting around BLOGGING! Nice to waste life in front of a computer screen judging the rest of the world who are actually living, huh!

  23. He is too powerful and sweet a neshama to go off the d. Not sure why he twittered that whole thing. Could be he was just in a lousy mood. We all get that way sometimes.

    He will be fine. He has been one of the great Kiddush Hashem’s of the last century. He is not for the Yeshiva world. But many non frum Jews gained inspiration and pride in being Jewish from him.

  24. Since when are we Hashems assitants…noone knows what it is like to be in another persons shoes. Who are we to judge him he is a human being just like you and me that have their ups and downs. Being angry and disapointed and being nasty is not the way to bring a person back to judisam. At times we all have doubts about Hashem and that is only natural. The most important thing a person should do is develop a personal realashionship with Hashem. Just as you would with a human being. It takes effort and sacrafice and the payoffs are all worth it. IF anything I bless him and everyone with the ablility to look for the good and to judge other people favorabley. If we want Hashem to judge us favorabley we have to do the same with one another.

  25. I love your music man, and I am a proud follower of the truth! Psalm 119: 142 “Your righteousness is righteousness forever, and your TORAH is Truth”

    Shalom bro! is all about Hashem!

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