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Save "Tattoos? Burials?
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Tattoos? Burials?

(כח) וְשֶׂ֣רֶט לָנֶ֗פֶשׁ לֹ֤א תִתְּנוּ֙ בִּבְשַׂרְכֶ֔ם וּכְתֹ֣בֶת קַֽעֲקַ֔ע לֹ֥א תִתְּנ֖וּ בָּכֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י ה׳

(28) Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor imprint any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
(ט) רַ֡ק הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֩ וּשְׁמֹ֨ר נַפְשְׁךָ֜ מְאֹ֗ד פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֨ח אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־רָא֣וּ עֵינֶ֗יךָ וּפֶן־יָס֙וּרוּ֙ מִלְּבָ֣בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י חַיֶּ֑יךָ וְהוֹדַעְתָּ֥ם לְבָנֶ֖יךָ וְלִבְנֵ֥י בָנֶֽיךָ׃
(9) Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but make them known unto thy children and thy children’s children;

(ו) הכותב כתבת קעקע, כתב ולא קעקע, קעקע ולא כתב, אינו חיב עד שיכתוב ויקעקע בדיו ובכחול ובכל דבר שהוא רושם. רבי שמעון בן יהודה משום רבי שמעון אומר: אינו חיב עד שיכתוב שם השם, שנאמר (ויקרא יט) וכתבת קעקע לא תתנו בכם אני ה'.

(6) One who tatoos: If he writes without engraving, or he engraves without writing, he is not liable for lashes, until he writes and engraves with ink or pigment or anything that leaves an impression. Rebbi Shimon ben Yehudah said in the name of Rebbi Shimon [bar Yochai]: He is not liable until he writes a name [of idolatry] there. As it says (Vayikra 19): "Do not tatoo yourself, for I am G-d."

גְּמָ׳ אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב אַחָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרָבָא לְרַב אָשֵׁי: עַד דְּיִכְתּוֹב ״אֲנִי ה׳ מַמָּשׁ״? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָא. כִּדְתָנֵי בַּר קַפָּרָא: אֵינוֹ חַיָּיב עַד שֶׁיִּכְתּוֹב שֵׁם עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּכְתוֹבֶת קַעֲקַע לֹא תִתְּנוּ בָּכֶם אֲנִי ה׳״ – אֲנִי ה׳, וְלֹא אַחֵר.

GEMARA: Rav Aḥa, son of Rava, said to Rav Ashi: Is Rabbi Shimon saying that one is liable only if he actually inscribes the words “I am the Lord” in his skin? Rav Ashi said to him: No, he is saying as bar Kappara teaches: One is liable only if he inscribes a name of an object of idol worship, as it is stated: “And a tattoo inscription you shall not place upon you, I am the Lord,” which means: Do not place an idolatrous name on your skin, as I am the Lord, and no one else.

the Gemarah debates whether it is the inclusion of God’s name or a pagan deity that makes it a culpable act.

According to the first rabbi (echoed many centuries later by Maimonides), the Jewish aversion to tattoos is part of its age-old polemic against idolatry, contravening God’s declaration that “I am the Lord,” especially when paying explicit homage to a foreign god. In the view of the second sage, however, the biblical ban on tattoos is non-rational, rooted in divine fiat.

It really depends on where you put the emphasis of your translation, and how you understand the part "I am Ad-nai" - as part of the text of the admonition or not.

(ה) זֶ֤ה יֹאמַר֙ לַֽה' אָ֔נִי וְזֶ֖ה יִקְרָ֣א בְשֵֽׁם־יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְזֶ֗ה יִכְתֹּ֤ב יָדוֹ֙ לַֽה' וּבְשֵׁ֥ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יְכַנֶּֽה׃ (פ)
(5) One shall say: ‘I am the LORD’S’; And another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; And another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, And surname himself by the name of Israel.
(טז) הֵ֥ן עַל־כַּפַּ֖יִם חַקֹּתִ֑יךְ חוֹמֹתַ֥יִךְ נֶגְדִּ֖י תָּמִֽיד׃
(16) Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; Thy walls are continually before Me.
(ז) בְּיַד־כָּל־אָדָ֥ם יַחְתּ֑וֹם לָ֝דַ֗עַת כָּל־אַנְשֵׁ֥י מַעֲשֵֽׂהוּ׃
(7) He sealeth up the hand of every man, That all men whom He hath made may know it.

Recently - Second and third generations of the survivors of the Holocaust look for replicating the tattoo of the first generation. See: tinyurl.com/Jtattoo1 and tinyurl.com/Jtattoo2

Also: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/fashion/17SKIN.html?_r=0

Younger Jews doing tattoos as a form of affirming a Jewish identification.

According to a 2007 Pew study, almost 40 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 40 have tattoos, but only 10 percent of those between 41 and 64.

According to research conducted by Rabbi Rochelle Tulik, about two-fifths of Jews’ tattoos can be identified as Jewish in some way.

See: http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/short-takes/tattoo-stil-taboo#VYIeHzLgl6VoyDED.99

[אחז בטל את העבודה] וחתם את התורה שנאמר (ישעיהו ח, טז) צור תעודה חתום תורה בלמודי מנשה קדר את האזכרות והרס את המזבח אמון [שרף את התורה] והעלה שממית על גבי המזבח אחז התיר את הערוה מנשה בא על אחותו אמון בא על אמו שנאמר (דברי הימים ב לג, כג) כי הוא אמון הרבה אשמה רבי יוחנן ור"א חד אמר ששרף את התורה וחד אמר שבא על אמו אמרה לו אמו כלום יש לך הנאה ממקום שיצאת ממנו א"ל כלום אני עושה אלא להכעיס את בוראי כי אתא יהויקים אמר קמאי לא ידעי לארגוזי כלום אנו צריכין אלא לאורו יש לנו זהב פרויים שאנו משתמשין בו יטול אורו אמרו לו והלא כסף וזהב שלו הוא שנאמר (חגי ב, ח) לי הכסף ולי הזהב נאם ה׳ צבאות אמר להם כבר נתנו לנו שנאמר (תהלים קטו, טז) השמים שמים לה׳ והארץ נתן לבני האדם א"ל רבא לרבה בר מרי מפני מה לא מנו את יהויקים משום דכתיב ביה (דברי הימים ב לו, ח) ויתר דברי יהויקים ותועבותיו אשר עשה והנמצא עליו מאי והנמצא עליו רבי יוחנן ור"א חד אמר שחקק שם עבודת כוכבים על אמתו וחד אמר שחקק שם שמים על אמתו
Ahaz nullified the Temple service and sealed the Torah, prohibiting its study, as it is stated: “Bind up the testimony, seal the Torah among my disciples” (Isaiah 8:16). Manasseh excised the mentions of God’s names from sacred books and destroyed the altar. Amon burned the Torah and sacrificed a gecko, an impure creeping animal, upon the altar. Ahaz permitted engaging in sexual intercourse with forbidden relatives, and announced that marriage between those relatives is permitted. Manasseh exploited that pronouncement and engaged in sexual intercourse with his sister. Amon engaged in sexual intercourse with his mother, as it is stated: “But Amon increased his guilt” (II Chronicles 33:23), indicating that he performed a greater and more disgraceful transgression than anyone else. Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Elazar disagreed about his transgression; one says that he burned the Torah, and one says that he engaged in sexual intercourse with his mother. His mother said to him: Do you have any pleasure by engaging in intercourse from the place from which you emerged? He said to her: I am doing this only to express insolence to my Creator, not for my pleasure. When Jehoiakim came along and reigned, he said: My predecessors did not know how to express insolence to God. Do we need God even for his light? Since we have parvayim gold that we use that shines, let God take His light from the world. They said to him: Aren’t the silver and the gold His, as it is stated: “The silver is mine and the gold is mine says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8)? Jehoiakim said to them: He has already given it to us, as it is stated: “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth He has given to the children of men” (Psalms 115:16). § Rava said to Rabba bar Mari: For what reason did the tanna’im not enumerate Jehoiakim among the kings who have no share in the World-to-Come? One would imagine that he has no share in the World-to-Come, because it is written concerning him: “And the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and his abominations that he did, and that which was found on him” (II Chronicles 36:8). The Gemara explains: What is the meaning of the phrase “and that which was found on him”? Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Elazar disagree; one says that he etched the name of idols on his penis due to his devotion to them, and one says that he etched the name of Heaven on his penis in a display of contempt.

~ What is the main problem with Yoachin's tattoo?

ולא זו בלבד כו': א"ר יוחנן משום ר"ש בן יוחי מנין למלין את מתו שעובר עליו בל"ת ת"ל כי קבר תקברנו מכאן למלין את מתו שעובר בלא תעשה איכא דאמרי אמר רבי יוחנן משום ר"ש בן יוחי רמז לקבורה מן התורה מניין ת"ל כי קבר תקברנו מכאן רמז לקבורה מן התורה

R. Johanan said on the authority of R. Simeon b. Yohai: Whence is it inferred that whoever keeps his dead [unburied] over night transgresses thereby a negative conmmand?— From the verse, Thou shalt surely bury him; whence we learn that he who keeps his dead [unburied] over night transgresses a prohibitory command. Others state: R. Johanan said on the authority of R. Simeon b. Yohai: Where is burial [as a means of disposing of the dead] alluded to in the Torah? — In the verse, Thou shalt surely bury him: here we find an allusion to burial in the Torah.

Conservative Responsum by Rabbi Alan Lucas

" In our day, the prohibition against all forms of tattooing regardless of their intent, should be maintained. In addition to the fact that Judaism has a long history of distaste for tattoos, tattooing becomes even more distasteful in a contemporary secular society that is constantly challenging the Jewish concept that we are created b’tzelem Elokim (in the image of God) and that our bodies are to be viewed as a precious gift on loan from God, to be entrusted into our care and [are] not our personal property to do with as we choose. Voluntary tattooing even if not done for idolatrous purposes expresses a negation of this fundamental Jewish perspective.

As tattoos become more popular in contemporary society, there is a need to reinforce the prohibition against tattooing in our communities and counterbalance it with education regarding the traditional concept that we are created b’tzelem Elokim. But, however distasteful we may find the practice there is no basis for restricting burial to Jews who violate this prohibition or even limiting their participation in synagogue ritual. The fact that someone may have violated the laws of kashrut at some point in his or her life or violated the laws of Shabbat would not merit such sanctions; the prohibition against tattooing is certainly no worse. It is only because of the permanent nature of the tattoo that the transgression is still visible." Read the responsum here: http://tinyurl.com/Jtattoo4

Bottom line: just as with smoking - if you haven't taken it up, don't start. If you have one, you are as good as anybody.

הַקֹּרֵחַ רֹאשׁוֹ אוֹ הַשּׂוֹרֵט בִּבְשָׂרוֹ עַל בֵּיתוֹ שֶׁנָּפַל וְעַל סְפִינָתוֹ שֶׁנִּטְבְּעָה בַּיָּם פָּטוּר וְאֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה אֶלָּא עַל הַמֵּת בִּלְבַד אוֹ הַשּׂוֹרֵט לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים. הַקֹּרֵחַ קָרְחָה בְּרֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ וְהַשּׂוֹרֵט שְׂרִיטָה בִּבְשַׂר חֲבֵרוֹ וְהַכּוֹתֵב כְּתֹבֶת קַעֲקַע בִּבְשָׂרוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ וְהָיָה חֲבֵרוֹ מְסַיֵּעַ. בִּזְמַן שֶּׁשְּׁנֵיהֶן מְזִידִין שְׁנֵיהֶן לוֹקִין. אֶחָד שׁוֹגֵג וְאֶחָד מֵזִיד הַמֵּזִיד מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם לוֹקֶה וְהַשּׁוֹגֵג פָּטוּר:
A person who makes a bald spot on his head or gouges his flesh because his house falls or because his ship sinks at sea is exempt. One is lashed only [if he carries out these acts] for the sake of a deceased person or if he gashes his flesh for the sake of an idol.
[The following laws apply] when a person creates a bald spot on a colleague's head, makes a gash on a colleague's flesh, or tattoos his colleague's flesh while his colleague assists him. If they both intended to violate the prohibition, both receive lashes. If one violated the prohibition inadvertently and the other did so intentionally, the one who performed the act intentionally is [liable for] lashes, and his colleague is exempt.
שֶׁלֹּא נִכְתֹּב בִּבְשָׂרֵנוּ כְּתֹבֶת קַעֲקַע – שֶׁלֹּא לִכְתֹּב בִּבְשָׂרֵנוּ כְּתֹבֶת קַעֲקַע, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט כח) וּכְתֹבֶת קַעֲקַע לֹא תִתְּנוּ בִּבְשַׂרְכֶם. וְהָעִנְיָן הוּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁעוֹשִׂין הַיּוֹם יִשְׁמְעֵאלִים, שֶׁכֹּתְבִים בִּבְשָׂרָם כְּתָב מְחֻקֶּה וְתָקוּעַ שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִמְחָק לְעוֹלָם. וְאֵין הַחִיּוּב אֶלָּא בִּכְתָב חָקוּק וְרָשׁוּם בִּדְיוֹ אוֹ בִּכְחוֹל אוֹ בִּשְׁאָר צִבְעוֹנִין הָרוֹשְׁמִים. וְכֵן אָמְרוּ בְּמַכּוֹת (כא, א) קִעֲקַע וְלֹא כָּתַב, כְּלוֹמַר, שֶׁלֹּא רְשָׁמוֹ בְּצֶבַע, כָּתַב וְלֹא קִעֲקַע, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁרָשַׁם בְּשָׂרוֹ בְּצֶבַע, אֲבָל לֹא עָשָׂה שְׂרִיטָה בִּבְשָׂרוֹ אֵינוֹ חַיָּב, עַד שֶׁיִּכְתֹּב וִיקַעֲקֵעַ בִּדְיוֹ אוֹ בִּכְחוֹל וּבְכָל דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא רוֹשֵׁם.
That we not imprint an imprinted tattoo into our flesh: To not imprint an imprinted tattoo into our flesh, as it is stated (Leviticus 19:28), “and an imprinted tattoo you shall not put into your flesh.” And the content is like that which the Yishmaelites do today, as they imprint an imprint that is inscribed and stuck into their flesh, such that it is never erased. And the liability is only with an imprint that is inscribed and impressed with ink or blue dye or with other colors that make an impression. And so did they say in Makkot 21a, “[If] he tattooed, but did not imprint” — meaning to say, he did not make an impression with color — “[if] he imprinted, but did not tattoo” — meaning to say that he did make an impression [on] his flesh with a color, but he did not make a marking in his flesh — “ he is not liable, until he imprints, and tattoos with ink, or with blue dye or with anything that makes an impression.”
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ בְּהַקָּפַת הָרֹאשׁ וּבְהַשְׁחָתַת זָקָן שֶׁהִיא לְהַרְחָקַת כָּל עִנְיְנֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה מִגּוּפֵנוּ וּמִבֵּין עֵינֵינוּ. וְגַם זֶה מִן הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ הַזֶּה בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה מִנְהַג הַגּוֹיִם שֶׁרוֹשְׁמִים עַצְמָן לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שֶׁלָּהֶם כְּלוֹמַר, שֶׁהוּא עֶבֶד נִמְכָּר לָהּ וּמְרֻשָּׁם לַעֲבוֹדָתָהּ.
That which we wrote on encircling the head and destroying the beard, which is to distance all matters of idolatry from our bodies and from between our eyes, is from the roots of the commandment. And this too is from this very root, as it was the custom of the [other] nations to make an impression upon themselves for their idolatry — meaning to say that he is a slave sold to it and marked for its service.
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (רמב"ם ע"ז י"ב י"א), שֶׁכָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁבַּגּוּף, בֵּין מְגֻלֶּה, בֵּין מְכֻסֶּה בִּבְגָדִים, בִּכְלַל אִסּוּר זֶה. וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֶיהָ, בְּסוֹף מַסֶּכֶת מַכּוֹת.
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 12:11) that every place on the body — whether it is revealed, or whether it is covered by clothes — is included in this prohibition. And the rest of its details are at the end of Tractate Makkot.
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