Q: Did Iranians have the tradition of having peyot (side locks) or is it a strictly Ashkenazi thing?

Rav David: If you look at my grandfathers picture, Hacham David Shofet tz”l, you can see that there are little peyot on his side. In Iran some had peyot, but short, not long and curly like the Ashkenazim.

I have also seen Yeminite and North African Jews with extra patches of hair on their sides as well. According to the Torah we do not shave the sides of our head, so to keep with tradition one should not cut his sides.

{ Listen to Rav David Shofet's Answer } 

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