Comments on: My Rose Tattoo http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/18935/the-chosen-tattoo/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-chosen-tattoo A New Read on Jewish Life Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:06:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Danette Toya http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/18935/the-chosen-tattoo/#comment-2834142 Danette Toya Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:46:32 +0000 http://www.tabletmag.com/?p=18935#comment-2834142 The very heart of your writing whilst sounding agreeable initially, did not really sit perfectly with me after some time. Somewhere throughout the sentences you actually managed to make me a believer but only for a short while. I nevertheless have a problem with your leaps in logic and one would do well to fill in all those breaks. If you can accomplish that, I will certainly be fascinated. The very heart of your writing whilst sounding agreeable initially, did not really sit perfectly with me after some time. Somewhere throughout the sentences you actually managed to make me a believer but only for a short while. I nevertheless have a problem with your leaps in logic and one would do well to fill in all those breaks. If you can accomplish that, I will certainly be fascinated.

]]> By: Edra Poplar http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/18935/the-chosen-tattoo/#comment-2829468 Edra Poplar Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:07:24 +0000 http://www.tabletmag.com/?p=18935#comment-2829468 Hey! I simply wish to give an enormous thumbs up for the nice information you might have here on this post. I will be coming again to your weblog for more soon. Hey! I simply wish to give an enormous thumbs up for the nice information you might have here on this post. I will be coming again to your weblog for more soon.

]]> By: eila http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/18935/the-chosen-tattoo/#comment-263300 eila Tue, 09 Nov 2010 06:55:00 +0000 http://www.tabletmag.com/?p=18935#comment-263300 beautiful beautiful

]]> By: Yossi http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/18935/the-chosen-tattoo/#comment-62200 Yossi Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:17:31 +0000 http://www.tabletmag.com/?p=18935#comment-62200 There is a reason given. The reason for the Biblical prohibition, is that it was a Pagan practice. G-d asked us not to deface our bodies *as the Pagans did*. Commonly they would cut or tattoo their skin as part of rituals (which were, of course, idolatrous) or during mourning. The author did not tattoo herself because she was in mourning, nor, G-d forbid, as part of some kind of ritual, therefore the Biblical prohibition does not count here. Every rabbi I've ever spoken to agreed with me here, but many of them stressed that we still shouldn't tattoo our bodies "just to be safe." I don't agree with the "just to be safe" bit. I see that a tattoo that honors G-d is just another beautiful way we can raise his gift to us. There is a reason given. The reason for the Biblical prohibition, is that it was a Pagan practice. G-d asked us not to deface our bodies *as the Pagans did*. Commonly they would cut or tattoo their skin as part of rituals (which were, of course, idolatrous) or during mourning.

The author did not tattoo herself because she was in mourning, nor, G-d forbid, as part of some kind of ritual, therefore the Biblical prohibition does not count here. Every rabbi I’ve ever spoken to agreed with me here, but many of them stressed that we still shouldn’t tattoo our bodies “just to be safe.” I don’t agree with the “just to be safe” bit. I see that a tattoo that honors G-d is just another beautiful way we can raise his gift to us.

]]> By: LD http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/18935/the-chosen-tattoo/#comment-44990 LD Fri, 28 May 2010 00:16:15 +0000 http://www.tabletmag.com/?p=18935#comment-44990 "but me and my fellow New Yorkers are persistantly robed in it...." should obviously be "but my fellow New Yorkers and I...." “but me and my fellow New Yorkers are persistantly robed in it….” should obviously be “but my fellow New Yorkers and I….”

]]> By: jb http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/18935/the-chosen-tattoo/#comment-34618 jb Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:24:40 +0000 http://www.tabletmag.com/?p=18935#comment-34618 I'm not sure what the basis for your claim that the Bible prohibits tattoos because it is a sign of "disrespect for [the] body" is. In fact, the Torah does not explicitly give a reason for this prohibition, and does not particularly imply any reason. I would argue that, if it implies any reason at all, the closing of the verse "I am the Lord," emphasizes that our bodies were given to us be the Creator who asks of us to not tattoo them. This, though, is not out of respect for the body per se - but out of respect for He who gave us a body. The prohibition would then hold regardless of how wonderful, respectful or liberating one personally thinks any specific tattoo is. If we are intellectually honest and serious readers of the Bible we will try to uncover what the Bible is actually trying to teach us rather than making up reasons (with no textual support) in an attempt to discard eternal teachings. I’m not sure what the basis for your claim that the Bible prohibits tattoos because it is a sign of “disrespect for [the] body” is. In fact, the Torah does not explicitly give a reason for this prohibition, and does not particularly imply any reason. I would argue that, if it implies any reason at all, the closing of the verse “I am the Lord,” emphasizes that our bodies were given to us be the Creator who asks of us to not tattoo them. This, though, is not out of respect for the body per se – but out of respect for He who gave us a body. The prohibition would then hold regardless of how wonderful, respectful or liberating one personally thinks any specific tattoo is. If we are intellectually honest and serious readers of the Bible we will try to uncover what the Bible is actually trying to teach us rather than making up reasons (with no textual support) in an attempt to discard eternal teachings.

]]> By: rivka http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/18935/the-chosen-tattoo/#comment-24341 rivka Sat, 27 Mar 2010 16:43:11 +0000 http://www.tabletmag.com/?p=18935#comment-24341 I finally visited Israel 3 years ago when I was 57 - after dreaming about it since I was a teen. It was the trip of my life - and as part of that visit, when I was in Tel Aviv I also got a tattoo (my 3rd,). It's the letter chai - on my ankle. I was going to have it put on my wrist, but I too thought about the mandatory tattoos of the holocaust and decided that it would might be dishonoring those Jews to put a tattoo on my arm, even though it would by my wrist - but close enough - and if it might offend even one person, I decided on my ankle. Now back in NY, I look at that tattoo and have a permanent memory of that trip - the first I hope of many more to the home of my heart I finally visited Israel 3 years ago when I was 57 – after dreaming about it since I was a teen. It was the trip of my life – and as part of that visit, when I was in Tel Aviv I also got a tattoo (my 3rd,). It’s the letter chai – on my ankle. I was going to have it put on my wrist, but I too thought about the mandatory tattoos of the holocaust and decided that it would might be dishonoring those Jews to put a tattoo on my arm, even though it would by my wrist – but close enough – and if it might offend even one person, I decided on my ankle. Now back in NY, I look at that tattoo and have a permanent memory of that trip – the first I hope of many more to the home of my heart

]]> By: JD Webb http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/18935/the-chosen-tattoo/#comment-8353 JD Webb Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:16:20 +0000 http://www.tabletmag.com/?p=18935#comment-8353 This was interesting. This was interesting.

]]>