Health & Fitness
Judaism and Tattoos
As parents and grandparents, it's happened to most of us.
A child or grandchild enters the room, and points with great pride to a small tattoo on their ankle or shoulder; perhaps a small butterfly or even a Star of David.
And we gasp.
Perhaps nothing evokes more of an emotional response among the post Holocaust generation than the subject of tattoos. During World War II, Jews were herded, stripped of their dignity, and tattooed.
It was an attempt by those Nazi monsters to deprive us of our humanity - replacing our precious ancestral names with a series of cold black digits.
And those images, and the dehumanization of the Jew, are forever imprinted on our souls.
Yet these days, tattoos exist within a different context. They are in vogue. Perhaps the trend is permanent. Indeed, it is interesting how many comments and questions I receive regarding this topic.
Many young people believe today that in a world where a person often exists as an extension of their social security number, tattoos are a way of expressing their individuality.
It is the world that we've known -- in reverse.
To be honest, I suffered a near coronary attack when twelve years ago, my daughter came home one day with a small "yin yang" tattoo on her ankle. This was later joined by others. Her arm, from elbow to shoulder, would eventually boast a full rainbow tattoo.
She explained that these were outward signs of what was in her soul.
At the time of great personal shock and emotion, I remembered the words of my late grandfather who once advised me to "think twice and say once."
The subject of altering the human body appears a number of times in the Torah. It says in Leviticus 19:28 that "You shall not ....incise any markings on yourselves."
In this week's Torah portion, Re'eh, we are reminded not to gash ourselves. Many who interpret this line see it as referring not only to tattoos, but also to the trend of piercing, and harpooning various parts of the body, both seen and unseen.
At the outset, let me say that I am no fan of this practice. Some of these piercings are jarring to the eye. As the great writer Mordechai Richler once commented as he was being interviewed by a reporter with a pierced tongue, "for God's sake, please don't sneeze."
My wife also suggests anyone looking to invest in a future business may consider a "tattoo removal service." The sagging of time will not be kind to many of today's tattoos.
The issue is also a source of tremendous controversy in Israel. Hundreds of tattoo parlors have opened in recent years, as secular Jews seek to "make a spiritual statement" within a country where most religious institutions are controlled by the Orthodox.
There is also a trend where grandchildren of Holocaust survivors tattoo the numbers of their grandparents on their arms, as to never forget the courage of family members who survived, or perish.
So here is the question that many of you have been waiting for.
Can a person with a tattoo be buried in a Jewish cemetery?
And the answer is "yes."
Although Judaism holds that the human body is a gift from God and should not be tampered with or altered, it is widely agreed upon that the references both in Leviticus and Deuteronomy refer to customs of mourning.
It was usual among surrounding nations during Biblical times, to gash one's body when death occurred, or to tattoo various symbols. This week's Torah portion reminds us "do not gash yourselves or shave your heads because of the dead." (Deuteronomy 14:1)
The Torah repeatedly instructs us to act in a unique manner; that our God is a transcendent God, and that any worship of physicality is prohibited.
The Chabad movement weighs in on this matter as it comments on its website, "The Torah forbids us from tattooing our bodies. Nonetheless, one who has had tattoos can still be buried in a Jewish cemetery."
The confusion within modern Judaism stems from the literal interpretation of the Torah by some traditional burial societies. Today, this is rarely observed.
I believe that the human body is beautiful in its natural form. I strongly counsel young people to pursue their individuality in other ways. I believe one of the most important ways to empower ourselves is to help God perfect an imperfect world.
This world we live in is changing faster than many of us can keep track of. The Internet enables humanity through sites like change.org to gather forces, initiate petitions, and institute change at a faster rate than previous generations. Thousands of petitions have been created to support good causes, and to expose injustice.
Websites such as kickstarter.com provide the opportunity for people like you and me to invest in innovative and socially conscious grassroots businesses.
Therefore, let no one be distracted by physicality as we assess the emerging generation. It is part of an overall movement of empowerment.
Tattoos are indeed mentioned in the Torah. So is gashing. But our ancestors never envisioned how the context of these words would change over time.
The world is moving in a good direction.
Personal expression in the form of hair, piercings, clothing and public markings are no different today than those embraced during the sixties and previous generations.
Let us therefore focus on the things which matter.
Love. Kindness. Repairing a broken world.
Let us focus on those principles, and support the coming generation in their collective commitment to righteousness.
In the words of the Shema, "let us not be led astray by our eyes."
Rather, let us be guided by our hearts.
Shabbat shalom, v'kol tuv.
Rabbi Irwin Huberman
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