The halachos of tattooing are almost inapplicable in practice among those who keep Torah and mitzvos. Still, it is one of the 613 mitzvos which we are commanded to keep, so it is necessary to know the halachos, as it is a part of Torah which we must also learn. Also, it is relevant to baalei teshuva who did aveiros in the past, ר"ל, and to geirim. As of late, it is also relevant at times for medical reasons or personal dignity, as will be explained, and people are not aware of this. Thus, we will not refrain from presenting the main halachos.
Description. A tattoo is the creation of permanent lettering, pictures, or symbols on the body, produced by etching the skin and injecting ink or pigment which penetrates into the lower layer of the skin so that it will remain permanently.
The issur. The Torah writes (פ' קדושים י"ט, כ"ח), “ושרט לנפש לא תתנו בבשרכם וכתבת קעקע לא תתנו בכם אני ה'.” The meforshim explain that the issur is based on it being a non-Jewish practice [חוקות הגויים]; the non-Jews would tattoo their bodies for their deities (רמב"ם פי"ב ע"ז הי"א, חינוך מצ' רנ "ג). Thus, we are forbidden from tattooing our bodies.
Not for avoda zara. Although we mentioned that the basis of the issur is because of avoda zara, the poskim say that tattoos are assur in all circumstances, even when not done for deities or avoda zara, and even in an era when non-Jews do not do so. It is assur even for imagined beauty or plain madness, as the Torah forbade it in all circumstances; this is one of the chukim of the Torah (שו"ת משפטי עוזיאל ח"ב יו"ד סי' כ"ב, שו"ת אג"מ ח"ב יו"ד סי' נ"ג).
Both כתיבה and קעקוע
One is only chayav for a tattoo if he does the two actions of “כתיבה” and “קעקוע.” Some explain that כתיבה is writing or marking with ink on the skin, and קעקוע is making the ink penetrate into the body with a needle or blade between the skin and the flesh (רש"י עה"ת, ריב ן'' מכות). Others explain that כתיבה is etching the skin with a blade, and קעקוע is filling the etching with ink (רמב"ם פי"ב ע"ז הי"א, סמ"ג ל"ת ס"א, טור יו"ד סי' ק"פ). However, all poskim agree one is not chayav unless both actions are done.
If one only does one of the two actions, i.e., he writes on his skin without making it penetrate using a blade or he etches his skin with a blade but does not insert ink, he does not violate the issur d’oraisa of tattooing (ספרא פ' קדושים ג', סמ"ג ל"ת ס"א, סמ"ק מצוה ע"ב, רמב"ם שם).
Is the order important? Some Rishonim say the writing comes first, then the etching (רש"י מכות דף כ"א ע"א ד"ה כתובת קעקע, ריב"ן שם, ריטב"א שם). Other Rishonim say the etching in the skin comes first, then the etching is filled with ink (משנת חכמים אות נ"ז יבין שמועה בשם מהרש"ל בסמ"ג ובשם נימוק"י ורע"ב). However, most poskim agree that the order is not important, and if one does the two actions in any order, he violates the aveira (ב"ח סי' ק"פ סוף ד"ה כתובת קעקע, מנ"ח, ש"ך סק"א).
Simultaneously. The same is true if the writing and etching are done simultaneously – it is assur according to halacha (פתשגן הכתב להגר"ח קנייבסקי סי' ח"י ד"ה אמנם נראה).
Writing without etching. Some poskim say writing with ink on skin without etching into the skin is an issur d’rabanan if it is lasting (מנחת חינוך מ' רנ"ג). But most poskim argue. They hold writing with ink without etching into the skin at all is mutar even l’chatchila (תוס'); common practice follows this opinion (שו"ת שבט הלוי ח"ג סי' קי"א, פתשגן הכתב סי' ח"י).
Etched in the skin, didn’t fill with ink. Some poskim say etching into the skin without filling it with ink is assur d’rabanan (בית שמואל אבהע"ז סי' קכ"ד סקט"ז, חת"ס גיטין דף כ' ע"ב), but others say this too is not even an issur d’rabanan (משנת חכמים הל' עכו"ם וחוקותיהם סי' נ "ז אות א').
Lasts Forever or for a Long Time?
The poskim discuss whether one is chayav for the issur of tattooing only if the inscription lasts forever or even if it lasts for a certain amount of time but not forever.
Lasts forever. Some infer from the wording of the Rishonim that one is only chayav for tattooing if it lasts forever (רש"י עה"ת, ריב"ן מכות דף כ"א, ריטב"א שם, חינוך מצוה רנ"ג).
A long time. However, others hold one is chayav for the issur of tattooing if it lasts for a long time, even if it will not last forever (נמוק"י מכות דף כ"א ע"א, פי' רבינו יונתן שם). The fact that the poskim (הרמב"ם הטור והשו"ע) do not mention an amount of time implies that the issur includes anything in the manner of a tattoo.
Even according to the opinion that one is only chayav if it lasts forever (above, 12), there is certainly an issur d’rabanan even if it will not last forever (פוסקים, פתשגן הכתב סוף סי' ו').
Letters, Marking, Image
The poskim also discuss whether one is chayav for the issur of tattooing only if there are letters which are considered “writing”; even when there is just a significant marking; or even when there is a picture.
Only letters. Some hold one is not chayav for a tattoo unless letter-like shapes are etched into the skin with ink; only that is called כתיבה (פסקי תוס' מכות סי' ל"ב, פי' רבינו יונתן שם, תוס' ישנים שם, פי' הרע"ב). Some are unsure whether there must be at least two letters, like the chiyuv in hilchos Shabbos (מוצא מאש סי' נ"א); others hold one is chayav even for one letter (חינוך מצוה רנ"ג).
Even a marking. However, many poskim hold it does not need to specifically be letters. Rather, any sort of marking or picture violates the issur of tattooing (ראב"ד תו"כ קדושים ספ"ו, ר"ש משאנץ, לשון הרמב"ם, רבינו ירוחם).
Mere scratch. Even according to the opinion that one is chayav for a marking, some hold it has to at least be some sort of marking, picture, or complete letter, i.e., something with meaning. A mere scratch without any meaning does not violate the issur (יד הקטנה, משנת חכמים, תפארת ישראל, תרגום יונתן). Some are very machmir and hold that even a mere scratch without any meaning is chayav (מנ"ח).
Here, too, it should be noted that even if one is not chayav for a tattoo unless he writes one or two letters, a picture, a marking, or a mere scratch – each posek according to his opinion, as mentioned – there is certainly an issur d’rabanan even when making just a scratch (מעיל צדקה סי' ל"א הובא בפתח"ת סי' ק"פ סק"א, פתשגן הכתב סוף סי' ח').
The One Tattooing and the One Getting a Tattoo
The poskim say that if one person tattoos another person’s skin, both of them violate the issur. Thus, if they both did it knowingly and the one getting the tattoo assisted during the procedure, they are both chayav malkus. If the one getting the tattoo did not assist at all, he is patur from malkus because he did not do an action, but he still violates the issur d’oraisa. If one of them did it mistakenly, he is patur and the one who did it knowingly is chayav (תוספתא פ"ג מכות ה"ט, טור וב"י סי' ק"פ, פתשגן הכתב סי' י"ג).
By a non-Jew. If a Jew got a tattoo from a non-Jew and the Jew assisted the non-Jew in his work, he is chayav. If he did not assist at all, he violates the issur d’oraisa but is patur from malkus (תוס' שבועות דף ג' ע"א ד"ה ועל, יד הקטנה, דרכי תשובה בשם זרע אמת).
