Can Jewish People Get Tattoos?

Blake, hi. You seem to think a tattoo is the worst of crimes. According to Maimonides there are 613 commandments, Such as, not to be afraid to kill a false prophet, not to read your horoscope and not to paint or draw a portrait or human figure. Why on earth do you think having a tattoo is worse than the other 612 commandments? Reply

As one like Blake , who has foolishly tattooed himself , I understand his concern. You can forget many mistakes and move on but this one is there for you to see every day. I was told not to do it but I was a fool and did not listen. I see my foolishness and stupidity every day. Reply

But G-d forgives, just tell Him you regret it, if it troubles you. Reply

Sadly that might include plastic surgery, or repairing a physical defect. For example, if Elohim deemed it right to give a child a large blemish like a birthmark, or cleft or suchlike, are we supposed to leave it as it is? Remember not so long ago science was banned as was scientific medicine, and astronomy by the church Reply

Hello Pamela, I don't think we can decide who is righteous that is G-d's decision. There are many believers who have tattoos. But I do agree they are addictive Reply

I am a professional tattoo artist who in the last few years has begun to consider himself a Noahide. I have been wrestling with the merits or lack there of of my chosen profession. My reflections have me arriving at the conclusion that generally speaking clients choose to get a tattoo to cope with the feelings of confusion, senselessness, grief, and so in life that without Hashem is impossible to truly cope with. I think your analysis is spot on Pamela. I have so many tattoos. Many of them if subject matter of what I now consider to be extremely low moral value. I regret them and am considering finding another profession. Reply

Believers can do a lot of things that cause them to sin. None of us is perfect. To overlook the broken culture around us which is arm in tattooed arm is not to heed signs of the times and act accordingly. “Keep yourself pure from the world” is harder and harder to do and therefore to pinpoint in the culture. Obviously there are tattooed believers Reply

If they Believe God, they will not put tattoos on their body and obey God law. Reply

Apologies if I have mentioned this previously. I have tattoos, mostly of flowers, I also paint portraits as a hobby. However, in Exodus 20:4 it says: ''You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below;'' So which is my worst sin, that I had the tattoos and marked my skin, or the images that were tattooed? Reply

Standing before a holy God is the only judgment you will get. I don’t judge you, but speak to the untatted. I am just stating what I see in society: brokenness of homes and souls has shown up on the skin. It used to be only soldiers did it, maybe as part of initiation to their “tribe”, then it made its way into Jewish history through the Holocaust, and now it is generally accepted by society at large, including many religious people, even though the morality of such society is one of the worst in American history(Europe is tight in the race to see who can implode the soonest,imho)
Is there not a Scriptural basis for avoidance? And if you are convinced not to after you already have one, can’t you declare how tattoos are wrong? Our choices aren’t always godly. Better to decry poor choices than dig heels in and defend them, especially when scripture is on the side not to.
This is too long and probably won’t come across as nicely as I wish. But words are limited on this post. God bless Reply

That's a very interesting and non-traditional take, which I do appreciate.

So, you're saying perhaps it refers to self harm, self mutilation, ie practices like "cutting" which are generally considered to be unhealthy coping mechanisms etc. Reply

I am not sure where you got yo ur translation, but it seems that two words are being imprecisely translated. While the verse does also refer to a ‘gash’ (a Seret, which is actually a thin cut or slice; this is specifically in the context of mourning, a practice carried out then and even now by some other religions).
A Ka’akah (noun) is a tattoo, and the verb used is Koseves, meaning to write. The various commentators discuss exactly what must be ‘written’ and how, but they universally agree it is referring to the subcutaneous administration of some dye or stain. Reply

Thanks for your response.

I have been told by a Jewish doctor friend, who supported all denominations of Judaism--conservative, reformed, orthodox and Lubavitch/Chabad, .that Judaism is also religion of "Grace".

Another rabbi on Twitter summed up all commandments in Habakkuk 2.4. See Rashi below.

4... but the righteous shall live by his faith. דהִנֵּ֣ה עֻפְּלָ֔ה לֹא־יָֽשְׁרָ֥ה נַפְשׁ֖וֹ בּ֑וֹ וְצַדִּ֖יק בֶּֽאֱמוּנָת֥וֹ יִחְיֶֽה:


the righteous shall live by his faith: Jeconiah the king, whom this wicked man is destined to exile - his righteousness shall stand for him, and on the day this one is cast out of his grave, Evil-merodach shall raise Jehoiachin’s head and place his throne above the thrones of the kings.

(Bible Chronologist friend believes he was released 2 weeks after first Purim. Grace?)
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Hello Lawrence, there is no difference, the church leaders usuallly teach against tattoos on the same grounds as the Jews. Reply

Every word in the Torah shares a common bond and purpose and that is that Hashem wants us to learn something from each and every one of His words.
It is not for the sole purpose of just saying "No" that Hashem wrote " You shall not etch a tattoo on yourselves" Vayikra 19:28 when He handed down the Torah to His people Israel.
So when I hear someone belittle the Torah's words to meaningless rhetoric when stating "Cause the Holy One of Israel said “No”. It undermines Hashem's wisdom and reminds us of the adage, "ignorance begets ignorance" and beware of the dangers' of the illusion of knowledge, and not to forget it also undermines the efforts and purpose of this here blog. Reply

I suppose the question also applies, can a Cohen who's committed adultery, or a Cohen who has cut off the hair on the sides of his hair or trimmed his beard, or read their horoscopes or painted a picture or sculpted a model of a human or watched a pantomime with men in female clothes or married his widowed sister in law etc etc. Reply

Marcus Herz strongly opposed to Jenner vaccine. Googled "vaccine jenner jews" to find, "Some Jewish Responses to Smallpox Prevention in the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries: A New Perspective on the Modernization of European Jewry"
David B. Ruderman Reply

Yes, and after what I've just been through my recent stay in hospital, it doesn't surprise me. But it's an odd rule in Leviticus as it contradicts those like Rebekah and her nose rings etc. Reply

Vaccines save lives. If a tattoo is saving a life (aiming radiation) it is much different than a "decorative" tatoo. This argument against vaccines is the silliest one I've heard! Reply

Ink (tattoo) is not the same as piercing, though for some reason people seem to mentally group them together.

Rebecca's nose ring(s) and the law of the bondservant have nothing to do with tattoos Reply

Rivka had nose rings, a Jewish slave who wanted to stay with his master got an ear piercing, then there’s the Bris…
But permanent marks on the skin there’s a flat “you shall no”. So, no. Reply

Can you explain what you mean, as I don't understand about this 'other elohim', where does it say that in Torah? Reply

"other elohim" [lowercase] is a pejorative reference to the 70 bad angels set over various nations as punishment for the tower of Babylon. One more is satan/samael. One more is Michael, for 72. The Midrash and Zohar have things to say on this. Zohar calls them mountains. If you are not a Jew or a Ger/noahhide you are under their jurisdiction by default. They influence your mind without you knowing it. They go by different names in Canaanite, Greek, Persian and all other pagan cultures. They think to be like the capital "E-ohim.

Then and now they brand their spiritual property with marks.

I believe it's Rambam who says Israel defeats all her enemies not militarily but because they become Jew/Gerim. There is a deep secret in what he is saying here. He is saying the 70 nationhood angels are destroyed. Leaving at most two. Samael and Michael. Global unity of humanity will be restored, at least to only a bifurcated state. Reply

Very interesting, thank you Micah. Reply

Consider relationship of Ezekiel 9.4. Tav/mark may have etymological link to "tattoo". Reply

well said Reply

Best answer yet in my humble opinion. I never knew this, so very interesting, thank you. I agree they can be addictive, it is very peculiar indeed. Reply

I knew the law. It wasn't a mistake. But why would you think a tattoo was a worse crime than say, not caring about the stranger or not judging others? I imagine most people have failed many of the 613 commandments, why do you feel this is so much worse? Have you ever worn wool with linen or read your horoscope, or eaten or drank to excess; and the list goes on? Reply

Being that scaring is equally forbidding (stating so in the same verse) it would be ironic to undo one sin with another sin.
If you just cannot live with your Tatto for aesthetic or emotional reasons, many would consider these ample justifications for its removal especially if you consider the scar left less or non-intrusive. Reply

Being that scarring is equally forbidding (stating so in the same verse) it would be ironic to undo one sin with another sin.
If you just cannot live with your tattoo for aesthetic or emotional reasons, many would consider these ample justifications for its removal especially if you consider the scar left less or non-intrusive. Reply

Still does not answer the question. How to rectify I mean it’s best remove the tattoo and live with the scar .. But Sin also scars the soul right so we all get scars one way or the other. A paradox. Reply

Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) 2:1: "Rabbi [Judah HaNassi--the compiler of the Mishna] would say: Which is the right path for man to choose for himself? Whatever is harmonious for the one who does it, and harmonious for mankind.
Be as careful with a minor mitzvah as with a major one, for you do not know the rewards of the mitzvot. Consider the cost of a mitzvah against its rewards, and the rewards of a transgression against its cost.
Contemplate three things, and you will not come to the hands of transgression: Know what is above from you: a seeing eye, a listening ear, and all your deeds being inscribed in a book."

Rabbi Yanki Tauber's, elucidation of the teachings of the Rebbe זצ״ל on this Mishna are on this site under Path and Choice and Essence of Mitzvah "Each mitzvah you do may have a major or minor influence on your life and that of mankind; but each shares a deeper, unified truth. Be equally careful of them all, for their true reward is beyond knowledge and experience.": Reply

The wisdom of our sages of blessed memory gave us so many wonderful words, and Heavenly wisdom. I looked at the tattoo and told the person to remove it. It defiled him and the tatoo looked unclean. Yes a Mitzvah performed displays repentence . without true repentence a true forgivness cannot be achieved. Reply

But it didn't remove or undo the initial action, so the sin, if that's what it is, has already been committed. You also made the tattoo a far worse sin in your own eyes, than necessarily in G-d's eyes. You judged on behalf of G-d. To your eyes it defiled him, but you're basing the person's 'defiled' spirituality on your own opinion and on what you think, and what you can see. As I've mentioned previously, what about the other 612 commandments, are you keeping every one of them? We must never, ever try and usurp G-d, as only He is the judge. Reply

Leviticus 17:11 Reply

Thank you. I write G-d as you did hyphenating the o but I never knew why. It came down to me from my mother. Why is the o hyphend? Reply

It is a Jewish tradition adding to the commandment to not defile or "make common" His holy name by taking it in vain, out of respect. Though some feel it decrease the intimacy of the holy love relationship with Him that is commanded. It is taken very seriously in many sects of Judaism. Reply

Yes, I agree. Apart from anything, it won't undo the initial action. Also, apart from the action itself, is the mere desire to anything forbidden also a sin? Whether it's 'fancying' another woman or man if one's married, or desiring an extra slice of cream/chocolate cake, is just the thought of the temptation a sin? Reply

Good point, and it now makes me wonder if this is the root to why some religious Jews tear their clothes, did it begin/take over as a substitute to replace the self inflicted physical gashes. Although in numerous places in Tanakh it mentions tearing of clothes, it could be from the same cause, as a replacement for gashes. But as you say the verse that includes a banning of tattoos appears as if Jews did do this as a sign of mourning Reply