253. Ink: The prohibition against tattooing

This is pretty straightforward: Jews are not allowed to get tattoos. This is commonly known but there is a huge misconception about this prohibition: a tattooed Jew may, in fact, be buried in a Jewish cemetery. The myth to the contrary – which has no basis in Jewish law - may have its roots in scare tactics employed by parents of previous generations. (Why should such a myth evolve specifically around this mitzvah? If one’s child were to stray in matters of Sabbath observance or eating non-kosher food, returning to the fold would be relatively simple. If he were to get a tattoo, it would be un-reversible. Even today, tattoo removal is far from simple or thorough.)

The basis for this mitzvah is easy to understand. Our bodies are “on loan” from God and we are responsible to care for them until we return them. If you borrow someone’s car, you wouldn’t return it with flames painted on it. While normal wear and tear is expected when one borrows a vehicle – be it a car from a friend or a body from God – there’s no excuse to indelibly mark it up.

If one is already tattooed, he is not necessarily obligated to have his tattoos removed; an authority in Jewish law should be consulted.

This mitzvah applies to both men and women in all times and places. It is discussed in the Talmud in tractate Makkos on pages 20b-21a and is codified in the Shulchan Aruch in Yoreh Deah 180. It is #41 of the 365 negative mitzvos in the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos and #163 of the 194 negative mitzvos that can be fulfilled today as listed in the Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar of the Chofetz Chaim.