by Kefa
“You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves: I am the Lord”
Leviticus 19:28
There has been a lot of debate in the Mishnah about the application of the latter half of the aforementioned verse. After a lengthy discussion, Maimonides concluded that, ‘regardless of the intent, the act of tattooing is prohibited.’ (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Idolatry 12:11)
Recently, I have noticed an influx of sites promoting tattoos in a Jewish context or culture; tattoos of Hebrew letters, tattoos of verses from the Tanach in Hebrew, etc. At first blush, this seems incredibly ironic, if not oxymoronic; what’s next, Hindus working at Coach? After a little digging, we find that the general idea behind this is to use tattoos as an expression of your dedication and zeal for your Jewish roots; an outward representation of the pride you take in your ancestry.
What is the justification? How are you able to slip past the clarity of the text? I’ve heard that tattoos were used in pagan culture and/or idol worship. Since you’re certainly not getting a tattoo to worship a pagan god and are more likely getting it to embrace your heritage as the People of G-d, you may be able to find security in this justification. G-d was simply separating us from the pagan worship of the nations, right? Therefore, since you have a pure mindset, you are excused from this command.
No! May it never be! Remember Solomon, who thought he understood what G-d meant in Deuteronomy 17:17 (He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself) and subsequently was turned from G-d by his many wives. Shall we belittle G-d, in His omniscience, by daring to comprehend the reasoning behind His commands? Shall we elevate ourselves over the One who laid the foundation of the earth?
In conclusion, do not feel compelled to break one of HaShem’s commands to express your zeal; instead, consider channeling that energy into demonstrating your love for Him by keeping His mitzvot.
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
1 John 5:3
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April 22, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Alex Burroughs
Kefa: Reading this post is like drinking a pitcher of water in one gulp after a long walk in the desert. FINALLY, a solid brother — purchased by Messiah Yeshua’s blood — speaking from the Torah written on his heart and not from the god of his imagination. Everyone wants G-d to take them just as they are; but no one wants to take G-d just as He is. Many professing believers in Messiah blaspheme Messiah and stumble headlong into idolatry by spending more time examining cultural trends and personal experiences — trying to make sure G-d belongs to them — and less time examining the Scriptures to make sure they belong to Him. When we know G-d has spoken on a certain matter, our response ought to be simple, thankful obedience because we love Him. Like Samuel, our response to G-d should be: ” … Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:10
November 8, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Rey
Kefa,
I agree, I committed a very grave sin as i got tattoos when i was younger and without G-d. I truly regret it everyday of my life and i have asked for HaShem’s forgiveness. But His Word stands forever! Shalom uvracha.