Hi JITC-
I am new to your website, so perhaps this question has been answered previously. I have been enjoying watching Shtisel on Netflix, and was curious how the men actually curl their sidelocks into those perfect ringlets. Also, when a married couple’s bedroom is shown on the show, they have separate beds. Is this the norm, and if so, why?
Thanks,
Curious G
Dear G-
Okay, a peek behind the curtains here. Sometimes questions are forwarded to me to answer as posts for the site but many other questions are sent to me just to answer for the one who asked. On occasion, the Powers That Be decide to take a Q&A that wasn’t originally intended for use on the site and to make it public. When this happens, I usually flesh out my original answer somewhat. Here is how I originally answered this question:
Thanks for your question. Honestly, I had no idea how chasidim curl their payes – in fact, I had literally never given the matter a moment’s thought! I asked the colleague to whom I turn when I’m stumped and he also had no idea. He directed me to another colleague, from a Hasidic background, who told me that the barber perms the payes. I asked if he was kidding and he assured me that that was in fact the answer. So now we both know!
As far as beds, there is a period in the month in which the couple may not be intimate. During this time, they sleep in separate beds. Many couples have twin beds; others might share a double bed most of the time with one partner moving to a twin bed or a futon for that portion of the month. So, yes, it’s common, but you may also see people apparently acting otherwise.
Now, I thought this was an interesting Q&A – as noted, it’s not something I ever thought about before – so I decided to share it on social media. It got a surprising amount of feedback, as follows:
Sincerely,
Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
JITC Educational Correspondent
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Many chassidim use gel. My cousins use orange juice before Shabbos to make their peyos stay curled over Shabbos, since they can’t gel their payos over Shabbos. Those who would rather keep the Tropicana in the fridge sometimes use water during Shabbos.
Great messages. Thank you