I once went through a serious religious crisis, at which time I considered dropping out of the Orthodox Jewish world in which I had been raised and lived.  Because I knew Shlomo Carlebach to be an extremely liberal and tolerant Rabbi, I decided to take my spiritual conflicts to him.  In retrospect, I realized that probably on an unconscious level, I was hoping he would give me his blessing to renounce my roots.

He listened intently while I poured our my heart, stroking his beard thoughtfully, rolling his eyes into the back of his head as he frequently did when he was concentrating hard.  Finally finished, I gazed at him expectantly, hoping to hear the words that would magically release me from my family, my society, my heritage.

“My sweetest friend,” he said gently.  “Let me tell you something that happened to me in Yerushalayim last week, OK?  I was strolling down a street in Mea Shearim (the most religious section of that city) when I saw mamesh a most unusual and striking sight.  A beautiful chussidel (little hasid) walked by with peyos flowing down to the middle of his back!  This I had never seen before in my life and I was dumbstruck by his appearance.  It was mamesh a gevalt, right?  So I stared at him in shock as he passed, and stood on the corner trying to figure out who he was and what the purpose of such long peyos could possibly be.  Finally, unable to contain my curiosity, I ran after him, just as he was about to turn the corner and disappear.

“Excuse me, my holy friend, could I talk with you a minute.”  I panted as I caught up with him.  He nodded yes.  “Please forgive me, I don’t mean to pry, and I’m not chas v’sholom (God forbid) making fun of you, but could you please tell me why you wear your peyos down to the middle of your back?”

“It is very simply, really,” he replied.  “If I wear peyos down to the middle of my back, I can expect that my children will probably wear them down to their shoulders.  And if my children wear their peyos down to their shoulders, then I can expect that probably their children will wear them down to their chins.  And if their children wear peyos down to their chins, then I can expect that, hopefully, their children will wear them to their earlobes, as actually prescribed by Law!”

Shlomo finished the story and gave me a meaningful look.  “You have four holy kinderlach (little children), right?”  “Right,” I responded.  “That’s all I have to say,” he concluded, pulling a Gemora toward him, in which he was soon immersed.

I went home and thought about the story Shlomo had told.  My children were asleep in their beds and I gazed at them tenderly.  Thoughts of leaving Orthodox life had vanished.  I also approached my husband that night and told him that from now on, I would like to grow our little boy’s peyos just a little bit longer! ~ Holy Brother