LEV750 "You must not practice divination nor soothsaying" [this verse]. ["You must not practice divination" – such as those who divine through weasels and birds. [Another example:] his bread fell from his mouth or a deer crossed his path, which [the diviner] then says is an omen that he will not be successful along his way, thereby causing him to turn away from it. Likewise, one should not turn to diviners, whether to do a certain deed or to refrain from doing one. "Nor soothsaying"--this derives from the root of the word referring to time periods and hours ["onah" is related to the word "t'onaynu.], whereby one says, "Today is an auspicious day for starting to work; this hour is inauspicious for going out." You should also not listen to what the astrologers have to say; rather, you must have faith in Hashem, the God of heaven and the God of earth. Therefore, the pasuk states regarding this (Devarim 18:13), "You shall be whole with Hashem"; [I.e., after the previous verses prohibit divination and soothsaying (Devarim 18:10), the pasuk says in contrast that one should have whole faith in Hashem.] this implies that diviners and soothsayers are wanting in their faith in Hashem. These immoral activities are "deeds of the Land of Canaan," as the pasuk continues (ibid. 14), "For these nations which you are taking over, listen to soothsayers and sorcerers. As for you, however, Hashem, your God, has not allowed you [to do] so."

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LEV751 Do not heed superstition. Included in the prohibition is belief in all “bad omens” and superstition. Such beliefs are utter nonsense. For the Jewish nation--recipients of the Torah of Truth--it is inappropriate to lend any credence to any falsehood. In addition, matters such as these can undermine a person's belief in Hashem and His Holy Torah. Lending credence to superstition can lead to heresy and denial of the Torah, for one behaves as if things that happened to him, good or bad, are chance occurrences that have independent power over him, as if Hashem is not watching and is not in control. In effect, therefore, lending credence to superstition can cause a person to forget the most basic tenant of the Jewish faith. Since Hashem wants good for us, He commands us to clear our minds of such nonsense and establish in our hearts that all that happens to us is from Him, according to our deeds, and omens have no power over us whatsoever, positive or negative.

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LEV752 Do not shave off the corners of your beard. [See [[LEV754]] Leviticus 19:27 sideburns CHINUCH 160]. Priests of idol worship shave their beards this way, and since Hashem disdains idol worship He wants us to have no part of it and certainly does not want us to resemble its practitioners.

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LEV753 See [[LEV209]] Leviticus 18:5 laws BOROJMV 257-8

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LEV754 Do not shave off your sideburns. Idol worshippers shave their hair this way and Hashem wants to distance us from idol worship and make us forget their practices--especially things that they did to their bodies.

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LEV755 For a Jewish person, getting a Jewish tattoo is an act rooted in conflict. There is the disapproval of family and community, there are the religious prohibitions, and there is the powerful deterrent of the Holocaust as a cultural memory. Most of the people choosing to get tattoos, particularly tattoos with Jewish themes and images, are under the age of thirty-five. Most people over the age of fifty are profoundly resistant to the idea of Jews with tattoos, regardless of their level of religious observance.... The Judaic view on this issue is simple: Jewish people are not allowed to have tattoos. It is forbidden. The Torah prohibits tattooing where it states, “You shall not mark your flesh for the dead, nor incise any marks on yourselves: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:28). In addition, it is written that “You shall not cut yourselves,” (Deuteronomy 14:1) which many rabbis have interpreted to include tattooing. Aside from the general prohibition, the subsequent commentaries and historical record offer conflicting viewpoints about the exact nature and specifics of the injunction against tattoos. An anonymous author says, “If a man writes on his skin, he is culpable, but only if it leaves a permanent mark” (Mishnah, Makkot 3:6); however, the very same source goes on to add a contrary view from Rabbi Simeon ben Judah, who says, “He is not culpable unless he writes the name of God, for it is written, ‘nor incise any marks on yourselves: I am the Lord.’” This demonstrates an existing debate about the interpretation of the accepted prohibition against tattooing in Leviticus. I argue that the reference in Leviticus is to the burial practices of various pagan societies, which concurs with the view stated by Maimonides, that “this was a custom among the pagans who mark themselves for idolatry” (Hilkhot Avodat Kokhavim 12:11). However, there are clear examples of Judaic tattooing during biblical times. One reference says, “One shall say ‘I am the Lord's,’ another shall use the name of Jacob, another shall mark his arm ‘of the Lord’s,’ another adopt the name of Israel” (Isaiah 44:5). Following, it says, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:16). The widely accepted viewpoint that tattoos are not for Jews is deeply entrenched but misguided. There was a history of tattooing and Judaism according to several biblical scholars, and the text themselves are not as clear as many people believe. The prohibition is open to interpretation, and Judaism is not a stagnant thing. We change and evolve with the times. I suggest, therefore, that the law be interpreted to allow tattoos within certain limits. For example, I believe in prohibiting negative tattoos such as those that depict violence or nudity. I think it is also reasonable to ban tattoos of God's name. However, I feel strongly that we should allow tattoos that illustrate Jewish themes or other healthy images such as flowers, natural scenes, and animals. If the religious prohibition itself is not enough to keep young Jews from getting inked, there is a very popular myth that is familiar to most people. It is said that a Jewish person with a tattoo may not be buried in a Jewish cemetery. In fact, this is not true at all, as any person familiar with Jewish law can tell you. However, it has been repeated so many times that many people believe it to be a fact that they will not be welcome in a Jewish cemetery with their ink. One unexpected outcome of my work has been to debunk this misconception. Beyond the religious prohibition, and the mistaken fear of being banned from burial in a Jewish cemetery, it is the memory of the Holocaust that has exerted the most powerful influence on the decision of many young people who are considering a tattoo.... Because Jews were forcibly marked with numbers, the idea of Jewish tattoos often causes controversy in the Jewish community. For many people it is a reminder of a past that is too painful. Moreover, many parents of Jews tattooed with Jewish symbols fear for their safety of their children, feeling that they are at risk by having tattoos that call attention to their Jewish identity. Anti-Semitism is very real, and parents’ concern for the safety of their children should not be taken lightly. Many of the interview subjects in Tattoo Jew articulated a response to this issue directly through their tattoos. All of the people I have interviewed who have tattoos with Jewish themes get those tattoos for similar reasons; each of them wants to wear their Jewishness proudly on their skin. It is a way for them to mark themselves as Jews in an act of pride. According to Orian Livnat, a tattooed Israeli-American who has lived in the United States for most of his life, “You have to stand up for yourself. This is a way for me to show the world I am not afraid. I'm proud to be Jewish.” (By Andy Abrams)

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LEV756 For many Jews, the circumcised penis is the defining mark of being a Jew. Theologically and legally speaking, this is simply an error, for Jewish identity is confirmed by parentage or conversion, not by any sign on the body. Yet the idea that circumcision confers Jewish identity has a deep and powerful hold on many Jews, even those not otherwise particularly observant.... The first part of [Leviticus 19:28) is a source or cutting one's clothes rather than oneself as a sign of mourning. The second part gives me pause. Isn't circumcision incising a mark upon oneself and therefore prohibited? Surely there must be powerful reasons for this practice, in the face of what seems a clear commandment that human flesh should be left intact. What, then, are the reasons given for circumcision? … [Extended discussion of various proffered reasons for circumcision omitted – AJL]. … it is in this concept of patriarchy that I believe we have reached the real meaning of circumcision. For circumcision is above all a male-to-male transmission of Jewish identity, one that dramatically centers Judaism on fathers and sons and marginalizes mothers and daughters.... We have traveled far in this discussion of the Jewish male body. I have used our reluctance to discuss the penis, its hiddenness, as a metaphor for the hidden dimensions of the male soul, seeing in both the maintenance of patriarchal authority by cloaking masculinity in mystery. When I was asked to contribute to this volume on Jewish choices and voices regarding the body, I was not surprised to discover that the discussion had come to focus on women's bodies. But in this focus on women I find not the voice of feminism but rather the voice of patriarchy. Our world is deeply gendered. The cultural dichotomy between mind and body corresponds to a dichotomy between the masculine and the feminine, with women coming to be seen as stupified bodies-- that is, sex objects, and men becoming disembodied intellects. Emphasizing the embodiedness of men therefore de-privileges rather than re-privileges men. It is egalitarianism, not exhibitionism. Attention to the male body not only will help empower women, as it reveals the hiddenness of male privilege, but is in men’s real human interest too. Seeing men as essentially minds rather than bodies creates role models of Jewish men as scholars rather than athletes. This is not to in any way diminish the value of the ideal of the Jewish scholar but rather to lament how Jewish men have not as fully developed the potential of their bodies, to our great loss. I intend through this essay to challenge as patriarchal the practice of circumcision and, more broadly, our reluctance to discuss the secrets men keep and the rituals by which their power is kept and to call for their full and frank discussion. (By Harry Brod)

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LEV757 Type “Judaism and Tattoos” into Google... If you do this search, you will be quite overwhelmed by the vast number of sites where this topic is discussed in depth and at length.... Yet it is amazing that almost all of the sites touch on three key points. First, the Hebrew Bible has a definitive statement on the subject, found in Leviticus 19:28, “You shall not make gashes in your flesh for the dead, or incise any marks on yourselves: I am the Lord.” But while this statement may be definitive, its meaning is open to interpretation, even among the most traditional writers. Second, even though “everyone” thinks that having a tattoo means that you may not be buried in a Jewish Cemetery, that is just not the case. And while no one seems to know how this idea became so widely known and assumed to be true, all the websites want to make sure everyone knows that although tattooing is against Jewish law it would not prohibit burial in a Jewish Cemetery any more than that keeping kosher would. Third, the meaning of tattooing for Jews cannot be separated from the numbers the Nazis tattooed on the arms of Jewish men and women in Auschwitz and other camps during the Holocaust in an effort to categorize and thereby dehumanize them. (by Rebecca T. Alpert).

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LEV758 With regard to one who tattoos his skin, [if] he made a mark [and incision in his skin] but did not tattoo it in [that is, did not fill it in with ink, or] tattooed it in [that is, made ink marks on the surface of his skin] but did not make a mark [so that the process of tattooing was not completed]--he is not liable. He is liable [only] when he marks and tattoos with ink or eye paint or anything that leaves a [permanent] mark. Rabbi Simon ben Judah says in the name of Rabbi Simon, “He is liable only when he writes the name of God, as it is written, “nor incise any marks on yourself: I am the Lord (Leviticus 19:28).” Mishnah Makkot 3:6

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LEV759 Do not tattoo your skin. As part of the practice of idol worship, the gentiles tattooed themselves. That is, they would mark themselves as having been sold to the idol. As noted above, [See [[LEV754]] Leviticus 19:27 sideburns CHINUCH 160] Hashem wanted to distance us from idol worship and make us forget their practices, especially things that they did to their bodies.

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