Q. Does Judaism prohibit shaving?
The Torah prohibits Jewish men from destroying the corners of the beard (Leviticus 19:27). According to Jewish tradition 'destroying' means, totally removing the hair of the beard so that not even the slightest stubble remains (Talmud Kiddushin 35b). Therefore only shaving without leaving any stubble would be prohibited.
This would prohibit shaving with a razor that cuts the hair at the skin. However, trimming or even shaving with a tool that leaves even the slightest stubble would be permitted. Therefore shaving with an electric shaver would be permitted. So why do many Jews wear full beards?
According to Kabblah, Man was created in the image of G‑d. This means that every part of the body represents a different power of G‑d. Kabbalah tells us that the beard represents G‑d's power of mercy. Wearing a beard allows us to connect to G‑d's mercy. Therefore for most of our history, Jews in most Jewish communities wore full beards.
Today, even when it is no longer fashionable to wear a beard, many Jews continue to wear a full beard, never shaving or even trimming. However there is no requirement in Jewish law to do so.