)
It is forbidden to get a tattoo, meaning any permanent marking on the skin. As we read, “You shall not incise any marks on yourselves; I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:28). Even though this mitzva is a ĥok, we may try to make sense of it. God created a person’s body (the outer self), which is meant to reflect the divine image within oneself. Tattoos are meant to convey some type of other message, turning a person into living stationery. This is degrading and detracts from a person’s unique and inherent value.
