Rabbi Rifat Sonsino, Ph.D
I do not, and
don’t need one. But many people do. In fact, in my research I found out that
Lucky D. Rich (d.1971), a New Zealand performance artist, is best known for
holding the Guinness World Record as “the most tattooed person.” He had tattoos
in every part of his body!
The origin of
the word “tattoo” is controversial. Some people derive it from the Samoan
“tatau,” meaning “to strike,” others derive it from the Tahitian, “tatu,”
meaning “to mark.” Was tattooing known in the past? Yes. Ancient Egyptians used
to brand their slaves with the names of the owners to whom they belonged. It
was a sign of submission.
It is also
not clear how tattooing became popular in the West. According to the dominant
view, it was the British explorer, James Cook, who brought it back to Europe after
his voyages to the Far East in the late 18th century.
The Hebrew
Bible prohibits tattooing when it states that a person should not “incise any
marks” on oneself (Lev. 19:28). The Hebrew word for tattoo is ketovet kaaka. We know ketovet refers to
writing, but we don’t know exactly what kaaka
means. Nor do we know the root of the verb. Onkelos, the author of the Aramaic
translation of the Hebrew Bible, 3rd cent. CE, renders it as rushmin
haretin, meaning, “engraving a mark.”
It is not
even clear why is there a prohibition against it, even though most scholars
claim that somehow it has to do with idolatrous practices involving the cult of
the dead (Martin Noth, Lev. p 143). The medieval Jewish commentator Ibn Ezra seems to agree with it (see his comments on Lev.
19:28). The Quran does not specifically mention tattooing, but there is a
strong Muslim tradition that considers tattooing “haram” (prohibited) based on
the belief that one should not change the creation of Allah (See Quran, Women,
118-121). Christianity does not have a clear teaching on this subject.
Jewish law is
ambivalent on the subject of tattooing. In general, it prohibits it, especially if it
leaves a lasting mark (Mak. 3:6). However, Rabbi Simeon b. Judah, applied this
law only in cases of idolatry (Mak. 21 a). The medieval Jewish philosopher ,
Maimonides, considered it an idolatrous practice (Mishne Torah, Laws of
Idolatry, 12:11). There is also a popular belief that tattooed Jews are not
allowed to be buried in Jewish cemeteries, but this is not correct (See, Freehof’s
Responsa, viii, 119). Yet, there are
indications that in the past even some Jews accepted tattooing for the right
reasons. According to the Hebrew Bible, it was acceptable if one were to mark
his arm with a sign referring to God, thus becoming subservient to the divine:
“Another shall mark his arm “of the Lord” “(Isa. 44:5, JPS).
Why do people
get tattoos today? You will get various answers: self-expression, artistic
freedom, rebellion, to cover imperfections etc.
One thing is
clear: tattooing is here to stay, and I presume it will continue to be popular
among many people.
So, do you
want to get a tattoo? Get one, and make sure it is medically safe, but you
don’t need to compete with Lucky!
Dec. 5, 2021. Total pageviews world-wide: 677,239
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