Tattoos are a Shanda?
If I got a Star of David etched into my arm, I know my mom would kvetch because she believes that I wouldn’t be allowed to be buried in a Jewish cemetery. Even though she is incorrect since no textual evidence exists to back her claim, a Jewish prohibition on tattoos exists for maintaining a sense of holiness.
"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 you go. The Torah, or the Five Books of Moses, or the Old Testament, or whatever you call it, states that tattoos are illegal, right? Well, this biblical statement is somewhat vague. Are tattoos really a part of this prohibited act? Why is tattooing a culpable act?
As a Jew, I like reading Jewish texts that help explain and comment on halakhah, or Jewish Law. The Mishnah, which is a transcribed version of the Oral Torah written by respectable rabbis between 70-200 CE, states that "If a man wrote [on his skin] pricked-in writing, he is not culpable unless he writes it and pricks it in with ink or eye-paint or anything that leaves a lasting mark" (Mishnah Makkot 3:6). This declaration helps specify that tattooing would be prohibited. However, the passage does not address the reasoning behind banning tattooing.
One of my favorite Jewish philosophers, Moses Maimonides, explains that “[tattooing] was a custom among the pagans who marked themselves for idolatry" (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Idolatry 12:11). Considering that Judaism is a monotheistic religion, permanently displaying an “I love Mom” tattoo, as sappy as that may seem, on my arm would be a major no-no since that could be considered idolatry. That would be violating the second commandment in the Decalogue: “You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:4).
So Jews can’t idol their bodies? Actually, by banning body art, Jews have maintained that their bodies are shrines. A Jewish concept called b'tzelem Elohim, or image of God, comes into play here. The belief is that our bodies are fashioned in God’s image, so our bodies are viewed as a prized possession. Therefore, through keeping my body pure of permanent body art or idolatrous symbols, I will maintain a sense of holiness and perhaps make one step closer towards gaining insight from God. In a practical sense, I will just feel more attuned with my spirituality.
Whenever I notice a student on campus displaying an artistic tattoo, my mom’s voice pops into my head: “Tattoos are a shanda!” Yes, my religious faith has banned tattooing. Yes, my religious faith has brought me to believe that tattooing is not right for me. But Judaism’s principles have not stopped all Jews from displaying tattoos. These tattoos may actually affirm their faith. After all, it must take a lot of courage to permanently display something on one’s body. I know I wouldn’t want a saggy star of david on my shoulder when I’m 80. I’m fermisht just thinking about it.
Comments
Posted by: franco
Posted on: September 23, 2007 01:14 PM
Good job doing all that research on the Talmud! I love all the Yiddish expressions, your mom says exactly what my mom would say! Jewish mothers...
Posted by: Andre
Posted on: September 26, 2007 11:43 PM
test