[Avodah] Why are beards considered so choshuv?

[Dov Kaiser]

R.RWolpoe wrote:
 
<<Litvisher bachurim traditionally had long sideburns [think of some civil war pictures].>>
 
What is your source for this statement?  In all of the photographs I have seen of pre-War Litvisher bochurim, they have short sideburns.  For example, see R. Y. Levine's website at http://personal.stevens.edu/~llevine/young_gedolim.html.   Long sideburns (not sidelocks) are popular in contemporary Litvisher yeshivos, but I think this is new trend. 
 
By the way, on the topic of beards, R. AY Kook in his Iggeros refers to a Gemara in Shabbos that *hadras panim - zkan*, and R. Kook endorses the kabbalistic view that the beard should not be cut.  This is now catching on in the chardal world in Israel, where beards and peyot are all the rage.
 
Others have referred to the fact that the Italian kabbalists shaved. See the following article: http://seforim.blogspot.com/2006/08/jews-beards-and-portraits.html.  He points out that the evidence all hinges on a disagreement as to whether Rama MiFano kept a full beard, although one of the comments also refers to a contemporary accusation made against the Ramchal that he trimmed or shaved his beard.  Fascinating stuff.
 
Kol tuv
Dov Kaiser 		 	   		  
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