Shalom, Mitspacha!
Prohibition of tattooing
“Do not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor put tattoo marks on you. I am YHVH.”
- Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 19:28
“Or do you not know that your body is the Mishkan of the Ruaḥ ha’Qodesh who is in you, which you have from Elohim, and you are not your own?
For you were bought with a price, therefore esteem Elohim in your body and in your spirit, which are of Elohim.”
- Qorin’tiyim 1 (1 Corinthians) 6:19–20
YHVH's instructions concerning the human body are not arbitrary restrictions. They form part of His wider expectation that His people respect what He has created and remain set apart in their conduct. Wayyiqra 19:28 expressly prohibits making cuttings in the flesh for the dead and placing tattoo marks upon the body.
The instruction appears within a passage dealing with practices that distinguish YHVH's people from the customs of the surrounding nations. The prohibition concerning markings is therefore not isolated from its context. It belongs to a broader call to reject practices associated with the dead and to live according to the instructions of YHVH.
Our bodies are not possessions over which we have unlimited authority. Qorin’tiyim 1 reminds us that the body is the Mishkan of the Ruaḥ ha’Qodesh and that we belong to Elohim. We have been bought with a price; therefore, our bodies and our conduct must bring esteem to Him.
Honouring this commandment requires more than avoiding a particular outward practice. It calls us to examine the reasons behind our choices, the influences we accept and the way we regard the bodies entrusted to us. We must not allow fashion, peer pressure, personal expression or cultural traditions to take precedence over the instructions of YHVH.
We should also approach others with humility and wisdom. Our responsibility is to understand and uphold the Word, not to humiliate people or assume that we know every circumstance behind their choices. Correction must remain truthful, measured and rooted in respect for YHVH.
Our bodies are part of the life entrusted to us by YHVH. Yet the world frequently encourages people to treat the body as a personal canvas, an object for display or something that can be altered according to changing preferences.
Do we consider YHVH's instructions before making decisions about our bodies? Do we examine the origins and meaning of the practices we adopt, or do we accept them simply because they have become popular?
The command concerning tattoo marks challenges us to consider whether our choices reflect obedience or conformity. It reminds us that our bodies are not separate from our covenant relationship with YHVH.
As we observe Shabbat, let us remember that belonging to Elohim involves our whole being. May we learn to honour Him not only through our words and worship, but also through the decisions we make concerning the bodies He has entrusted to us.
YHVH, our Creator and Elohim, we thank You for the life You have given us and for the bodies through which we serve You. Thank You for Your instructions, which teach us to distinguish between what is set apart and what is not, and to walk in obedience rather than following the customs of the world.
Teach us to understand Your command concerning cuttings in the flesh and tattoo marks. Give us discernment to recognise the practices You have prohibited and the wisdom to examine the influences that shape our decisions. Keep us from allowing fashion, pressure, tradition or personal preference to become more important than Your Word.
Forgive us where we have acted without seeking Your instruction or have treated lightly what You have entrusted to us. Help us to correct our ways with sincerity and to encourage others without pride, harshness or condemnation.
We remember that our bodies are the Mishkan of the Ruaḥ ha’Qodesh and that we are not our own. Teach us to honour You in our bodies and in our spirits, recognising the price paid for our redemption. May our lives reflect gratitude, obedience and reverence for You.
As we enter this Shabbat, set our hearts apart for Your purposes. Let our homes and gatherings be places of peace, learning and faithful obedience. Restore those who are weary, strengthen those who are struggling and guide all who sincerely seek Your Way.
May everything we do bring esteem to Your Name. May our lives demonstrate that we belong to You, and may we remain faithful to Your instructions throughout our days.
Baruch YHVH. Emet.
Hear, O Yisra’el: YHVH our Elohim, YHVH is one!
And you shall love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your might.
- Devarim (Deuteronomy) 6:4–5
YHVH bless you and guard you.
YHVH make His face shine upon you and show you favour.
YHVH lift up His face upon you and give you peace.
- Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:24–26
Shabbat Shalom!