Payot, also pronounced pe'ot, peyot; or payos, peyos, peyois, payois in Ashkenazi pronunciation, is the Hebrew word for sidelocks or sideburns. Payot are worn by some men and boys in the Orthodox Jewish community based on an interpretation of the Biblical injunction against shaving the "sides" of one's head. Literally, pe'ah means "corner, side, edge". There are different styles of payot among Haredi/Hasidic, Yemenite, and Chardal Jews. Yemenite Jews call their sidelocks simonim, literally, "signs", because their long-curled sidelocks served as a distinguishing feature in the Yemenite society.
Rabbinical interpretation
The Torah says, "You shall not round off the pe'ah of your head ". The word pe'ah was taken to mean the hair in front of the ears extending to beneath the cheekbone, on a level with the nose. The Mishnah interpreted the regulation as applying only to men. Thus it became the custom in certain circles to allow the hair over the ears to grow, and hang down in curls or ringlets. According to Maimonides, shaving the sidelocks was a heathen practice. There is considerable discussion in the halachic literature as to the precise location of the payot and of the ways in which their removal is prohibited.
History
As kabbalistic teachings spread into Slavonic lands, the custom of payot became accepted there. In 1845, the practice was banned in the Russian Empire. Crimean Karaites did not wear payot, and the Crimean Tatars consequently referred to them as zulufsız çufutlar, to distinguish them from the Krymchaks, referred to as zuluflı çufutlar. Many Hasidic and Yemenite Jews let their sidelocks grow particularly long. Some Haredi men grow sidelocks, but trim them or tuck them behind the ears. Even in some communities where payot are not customary among the men, young boys may grow them until the age of bar mitzvah.
Styles
The lengths and maintenance of the payot vary noticeably among Jewish groups:`
Satmar Jews have notably thicker sidelocks. They also tend to tuck their sidelocks behind their ears.
Belz Hasidim wrap their sidelocks around their ears as many times as necessary without trimming.
Many Breslov Hasidim wear long twisted locks as did their Rabbi, Nachman of Breslov. However, others wear different styles in line with the teaching of Rabbi Nachman that his followers do not have to have a uniform garb.
The Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidim's payot are not evident, but they exist. So long as there is hair around the ear and behind it that can be plucked out, that is considered payot.
Some Gerer Hasidim raise their sidelocks from the temples and tuck them under their yarmulke. Others, especially in Israel, let them hang down.
The Skver Hasidim twist their sidelocks into a tight coil, and leave them protruding in front of the ear.
Some traditional Yemenite Jews still wear distinctive long and thin twisted locks, often reaching to the upper arm. The actual area where the hair grows and where the ringlet begins is neat and tidy.
Most other Hasidic groups wear their payot down and curled. The Lithuanian Jews are less influenced by Kabbalistic practises, but still retain sidelocks to a degree, in a small number of variant styles:
Lithuanian Jews often cut their sidelocks, but leave a bunch of strands uncut, and place them behind the ear; this style is most commonly found among yeshiva students, who sometimes remove the uncut strands when they have grown sideburns.
The Brisk movement's members brush their hair straight down, usually so that it reaches to the ear lobe; sometimes, some of the sidelock is not cut, and is curled back behind the ear.
