You shall not etch a tattoo on yourselves. I am the L-rd. Leviticus 19:28
Q: I have a tattoo, can I be buried in a Jewish cemetery?
A: In years past, some burial societies had their own covenants (not required by Jewish law) that they wouldn’t bury tattooed individuals in a Jewish cemetery.
Q: Aren’t you sanctioning bad behavior by not “punishing” them for violating Jewish law?
A: First of all, Judaism never hired me to do enforcement, I was hired to inspire. Second, Jewish tradition does not make us the judge of others. Most people, myself included, do things that they shouldn’t. None of us are perfect.
The perspective we need to have of others is a soul perspective. They are a piece of G-d. They are inherently good. We all are, at our essence, one and G-dly.
When one makes a mistake, we need to help them come back toward their soul identity.
When I break my diet, if I beat myself up and decide I am bad and “punish myself”, what would the result be? Would I keep it better or worse going forward?
If I “punish” the person with the tattoo and ostracize them, in life or in death, will they have a stronger relationship with G-d or not? Will they do more mitzvahs or fewer? Am I really sanctioning bad behavior by accepting that it was done?
Have a good Shabbos! Let our sole perspective of other people be looking at their soul.
May that perspective be as permanent as a tattoo.
Rabbi Kushi Schusterman