Why are Jewish people not allowed to get tattoos?

Question

What will happen if they do get a tattoo?

Answer 1

There is a mitzvah (commandment) prohibiting Jews from getting tattoos. In chapter 19 of Vayikra (Leviticus), it states explicitly:

"You shall not etch a tattoo on yourselves."

This is but one of many commandments whose primary function seems to be to distinguish Jews from the pagan societies in which we find ourselves. In the same passage there is a prohibition against self-mutilation (specificaly, as a mourning ritual -- it was quite common for people to pull out hair and cut themselves upon learning of the death of a loved one).

As far as what happens if a Jew DOES get a tattoo, well, it goes on their permanent record, for one. You mean in terms of punishment? If we had a proper Sanhedrin today (we haven't had one for nearly 2000 years, and won't have one again until the coming of the Messiah may it be speedily and in our days, such an act would probably by punishable (as are most transgressions of negative commandments) with lashes. I always find it interesting that such corporal punishment is still used in much of the Islamic world, because, the most severe sentence (short of the death penalty) that could be meted out by the Jewish High Court was 39 lashes (why 39 and not 40, which seems to be what scripture indicates is a lengthy discussion, one beyond the scope of this answer). And of course, the judges had to look at each case individually and assign no more lashes than the individual was likely able to handle - the frailer the person, the fewer lashes they could receive (beause the sentence was lashes, not death). Then I read this story about how a Saudi woman was gang- raped, but because she was discovered to have been in a car with someone other than a blood relative prior to the crime, the court sentences her to TWO HUNDRED lashes. And I just think, as primitive as one might think OUR laws, 39 lashes is considered an extremely severe punishment, but to assign more than five times that, to someone who has already been through what must be the most traumatic experience imaginable (I think the rapists got a jail sentence - I guess rape, unlike being caught associating with a member of the opposite sex not in your family, isn't considered deserving of corporal punishment in Saudi Arabia), it just boggles the mind. But I digress...

So yeah, back in the day, getting a tattoo would *probably* get you lashes - but of course, a lot of very specific conditions would have to be met, requiring two reliable witnesses to testify against you, among other things. Nowadays, a Jew getting a tattoo only has to live with the knowledge that they've gone against the Torah (whatever the implications of that might be in the heavenly court). The ones that get tattoos in Hebrew (particularly of biblical passages) piss me off, because they're stupid-looking AND hypocritical. But most Jews today simply don't know any better, and ultimately, that's a mitigating factor in their favor. The majority of today's generation are seriously so clueless when it comes to spirituality that they couldn't possibly be judged as wantonly transgressing the commandments, even if they know what the commandments are, which most don't anyway. It's sad, but also kind of a relief.

Answer 2

Jewish Tattoos

Answer 3

There Bible as far as I know(the Torah) is just the old testament of are bible and in the old testament the Bible warns us against tattoos in Leviticus 19:28 (Amplified) which says, "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord." I'm not sure what happens if they do that kind of stuff to them selfs it's obviously a sin and I guess they being Jewish take these sort of thing more seriously maybe.

Answer 4

In the Bible Old testament, Leviticus 18:26 or 29 says thou shalt not make any permanent matkings in your skin or somesuch, Orthodox Jews do not pierce their ears (or anything else). And under rabbinical law piercings and tattoos will keep you from being buried in a Jewish Cemetary.
They can now, and still be buried in a jewish cemetary.Times have changed.

Answer 5

jewish people allowed tattoos

Answer 6

Nothing happens...on earth.

But getting a tattoo is "unecessary markings" that you're not suppossed to have on your body.

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Deut 19:21 is about an eye for an eye, not about a tattoo...wtf?

Answer 7

Apparently, tattoos are forbidden because the Nazi's tattooed their jewish prisoners during the Holocaust. So tattoos are a reminder of the genocide.

Some Jews don't follow that train of thought, others do. Some tolerate tattoos as long as they don't include letters or numbers.

Answer 8

There is a verse in bible, somewhere in Deuteronomy or before, perhaps Exodus, prohibiting it. Somewhere in what jewish people call the Torah. I tried looking for it, but could not find the right word to use for a search in quickverse. Is to what happens, I have no idea. One thing I do know, it will make him, or her look much worse, jew or not.

Answer 9

The OT says not to tattoo yourself. Besides it's tacky and most people are just mindless followers. I have a few in my family.

Answer 10

I never heard of that. I have a Jewish friend who has tons of tattoos.