Removing a Tattoo
Baal teshuva. It often happens that a person straying from the path, ר"ל, gets a foolish impulse to tattoo himself. When he then gets a spirit of tahara and does teshuva, he usually regrets and is embarrassed of what he did, particularly the tattoo he got as a permanent reminder. As one gadol described it, “A tattoo is a permanent sign of temporary madness...” (הג"ר אביגדור מילר). Hence, shailos on this topic come up.
Chiyuv to remove. The poskim explain that after one gets a tattoo and regrets it, there is no chiyuv to employ tactics to erase it or remove it via laser or a painful, expensive procedure. The action is the aveira, not the result (הגרשז"א הובא ע"י מו"ר בשו"ת שבט הקהתי ח"ה סי' קנ"ד, פתשגן הכתב). Still, it is proper to remove it due to mar’is ayin where possible (מנ"ח במוסך השבת במלאכת מוחק סק"ד, שו"ת שבט הקהתי ח"ה סי' רע"ו אות ב'). However, those who went through the extermination camps and had a number etched on them in the spot of the tefillin straps have no reason to remove the mark, as it is clear it was done forcibly by the cursed resha’im, ימ"ש. On the contrary, they have something to display on the Yom HaDin (שבט הקהתי שם).
Tattoo to cover an existing tattoo. The poskim discuss the case of a person who regretted his tattoo and wants to cover it with another tattooing process that injects ink with a natural skin color to cover the first tattoo. The consensus of the poskim is that in a situation where a baal teshuva’s dignity is at stake and he will be very embarrassed, he may have a non-Jew do this (above, 21) without assisting him at all (ibid.). This is not writing at all; it is erasing, as in the end, all that is visible is the natural skin color.
Some even allow injecting colored ink to blur the repulsive picture he tattooed on himself, since the presence of the picture shows that his intent is to ruin, not to tattoo (שו"ת משנת יוסף חט"ו סי' קל"ד). However, this does not seem reasonable, as in practice, he is making a real tattoo with colored ink.
Issur to erase Hashem’s Name
Rav Shimon bar Yochai holds one is only chayav if he tattoos Hashem’s Name, as the posuk says, “וכתובת קעקע לא תתנו בכם אני ה',” i.e., “Do not put My Name, ה', on you” (ספרא ו, ט' הובא ברבינו בחיי פ' קדושים). Once, a spiteful sinner, ר"ל, who wanted to violate the issur of tattooing according to all opinions tattooed this posuk with Hashem’s Name on himself. Later, Hashem, Who orchestrates everything, caused a spirit of tahara to enter him, and he was chozer b’teshuva. Now, his shaila is whether he may erase what was written, or if it’s a problem of erasing Hashem’s Name.
Since it is considered real writing, there is an issur of erasing Hashem’s Name (שו"ת שבט הקהתי ח"ה סי' קנ"ד). Thus, when entering an area with filth or a bathroom, he should make sure it is covered. Similarly, after 120 he will require geniza...
Chatzitza
A tattoo presents no concern of chatzitza as it is under the skin. Thus, there is no issue of chatzitza for netilas yodayim, tevila, tefillin, or the like.
Improper Thoughts
Someone had an inappropriate tattoo on the arm, where the tefillin go. He was chozer b’teshuva and asked whether he is allowed to make a bracha on his tefillin with the picture exposed.
The poskim say he should cover the entire area besides where the tefillin actually rest. He should try to get tefillin with a small bayis that does not take up a lot of space so that the small pictured area has no meaning on its own, and he should say the bracha with his arm completely covered (שו"ת מנחת יצחק ח"ג סי' י"א). Alternatively, he can use ink without substance to blur the area not in a manner of tattooing, such that the picture is covered and there is no chatzitza for tefillin (מו"ר בשו"ת שבט הקהתי ח"ו סי' ח"י), or he can use the method described above (24).
Mar’is Ayin
Writing with a pen. We mentioned (above, 9) that most poskim say one may write on his skin with ink without any etching whatsoever, and there is not even an issur d’rabanan. Thus, there is no issur to write with a pen on one’s hand, e.g., a phone number. It is not an issue of mar’is ayin. Likewise a rubber ink stamp on oneself is no problem.
Tattoo stickers. Today, there are tattoo stickers which look just like tattoos but are just stickers that go on the skin. Strictly speaking, there is no issur, but one should not do this due to mar’is ayin. At the very least, it is a ‘temporary sign of a temporary madness’...
