Every religious, and perhaps even every Israeli, is familiar with the Jewish mourning customs that appear to us from time to time in the calendar.
Some are in general days - like the days of the counting of the Omer and the days between the Egyptians, and some are personal - when a person mourns for a relative who has passed away.
One of the best known of these is the prohibition against shaving during the days of mourning.
In recent years we are seeing more and more religious people finding themselves allowed to shave on the days of the counting of the Omer and the days between the Egyptians.
Indeed there are all sorts of halakhic reliefs that allow shaving these days.
Anyone who wants can easily find a permit I went to lower the beard.
Even when it comes to mourning relatives, and especially parents, it is sometimes possible to alleviate in some cases.
The mourners tend to grow their beard for 30 days and not shave it, but there are solutions for those who want to find them.
One of the most well-known and accepted solutions is enshrined in Halacha, which allows those who, by virtue of their position, meet with kings and heads of state to shave and get a haircut in honor of the meeting with them.
President Yitzhak Herzog flew yesterday for an official visit to the United Arab Emirates, and in photos from the royal palace in the principality it was impossible not to be impressed by the beard of the old man on Herzog's face, of course due to the fact that he is still in mourning for his late mother Ora. -Boji's Pace It stood out even more.
Herzog came to Abu Dhabi on behalf of the State of Israel and the people of Israel.
He is not a man who keeps Torah and mitzvos, it was easy to find a halachic permit to shave the beard, and yet, out of respect for his mother and out of respect for the tradition of his people, Herzog chose not to shave.
It was impossible not to get excited about the seemingly marginal step - yet so powerful.
In Israel and abroad: the most worthwhile promotions in tourism
Later in the historic trip, Herzog also visited the Jewish community in the Emirates, where he asked that a quorum be arranged for him so that he could say Kaddish about his mother.
The president, the grandson of the late Chief Rabbi of Israel Yitzhak Herzog, said the prayer as he was accustomed to it and moved those around him.
It is interesting to know if any of the members of the delegation or the Israeli delegation in the Emirates explained to the local hosts why the President of the State of Israel comes to them with whiskers on his cheeks.
I'm sure such an explanation would have moved them too.
I was moved by the president's decision.
Thank you.
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us