Chapter 169 : Chapter 169 The Prohibition of Tatooing, and Making Gashes of Mourning

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§1

It is written in the Torah, "You shall not imprint marks upon yourself."¹Leviticus 19:28. What is meant by "imprint marks"? A mark which is absorbed and sunken into the skin, so that it can never be erased. He who makes an incision in his skin and fills the incision with stirium, or ink, or other dyes that leave a mark; likewise, if he first dyes (the skin), and then makes an incision on the dyed area, is guilty of transgressing a negative command. Nevertheless, it is permitted to put ashes and other things on a wound for medical purposes, even if a mark will remain; for (in such cases) the wound will also leave a mark, and it will be apparent that you did not do it for the purpose of tattooing.

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§2

It is written; "You shall not cut into your flesh for the dead."²Ibid. It is also written: "You shall not cut yourselves nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead."³Deuteronomy 14: 1. Gedidah and seritah [the Hebrew terms used in the Scriptural text respectively] are one and the same, and are forbidden whether in the presence of the dead, or not in the presence of the dead. Even to strike your hand onto your flesh so that blood comes out is forbidden. And to do this even for any other kind of grief is also forbidden.⁴Rosh. The Ramban, however, permits it. The Rosh says it is permitted only when done over the loss of Torah, as on the passing away of a great Torah Scholar.

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§3

"Baldness" refers to plucking out hair of the head in mourning for the dead. Even the plucking out of a single hair is forbidden. Women, are included in the prohibition of making baldness, and certainly in the prohibition of cutting.