Jewish tattoos. Tattoo Ideas: Hebrew And Latin Bible Verse Tattoos

Thank you very much for your pressing question. Until recently, young Jewish people did not have to explain at length why they should not get a tattoo. For some, it was enough that it was written in plain text in the Torah: “And you shall not make scratches on your body for the dead, and you shall not make any inscription on yourself. I am God" (Vayikra 19:28). It is interesting that even conservatives and reformists never encroached on this ban. For others, the example of grandfathers and grandmothers who went through the horrors of concentration camps did not allow them to violate their bodies in the same way as Nazi criminals did. Still others were stopped by the widespread myth that people with tattoos are prohibited from being buried in a Jewish cemetery. Although this assumption is unfounded from the point of view of Jewish law, there are some private funeral societies in the United States whose internal policy is not to bury people with tattoos in a Jewish cemetery.

Currently in the United States, about 35% of young people aged 16 to 35 have tattoos and, unfortunately, Jews are among them. In Israel and Russia the situation is not much different for the better. There is even a special fashion for using Jewish symbols and even quotes from the Tanakh (!) in tattoos. This supposedly allows a person to express himself and brings him closer to the Almighty. The fanatical desire to imitate non-Jewish pop stars makes Jewish boys and girls forget their origins.

Here are some explanations from our sages about the reasons for this ban.

Rambam, a prominent Jewish sage who lived in the 12th century, explains that this action is reminiscent of the custom of idolaters getting tattoos as a sign of submission and “belonging” to their idol. Just as an owner brands his cattle so as not to confuse them with someone else’s. And, like any custom of idolaters, this action is prohibited for Jews.

Sforno, an outstanding Jewish sage (15th century, Italy), in his commentary on the Torah writes that the unique and only sign on our body that personifies the union of the Almighty with the Jewish people is Bris Mila(circumcision). The presence of any other sign on the body weakens and devalues ​​the existing unique sign.

Rabbi Shimshon-Rephael Hirsch, an outstanding rabbi (19th century, Germany), in his commentary on the Torah, connects this prohibition with the fact that man was created in the image and likeness of the Almighty. This, of course, does not mean that a person looks like the Almighty, but it does mean that the human body is His perfect and unique creation. The Midrash says that our forefather Abraham “determined” the commandments by reflecting on the structure of his body. As it is written in the book of Job (19:26): “And in my flesh I see God.” Structure human body“thought out” down to the smallest detail and allows a person to fulfill his purpose with maximum efficiency. Any external intervention, even for the purpose of “improving,” is essentially a violation of G‑d’s unique plan.

Now let's move on to the issue of permanent makeup. The permanent makeup procedure itself consists of introducing a special pigment into the middle layer of the skin, the “dermis,” along a pre-drawn contour using a needle. After 2-3 years, the image gradually fades due to skin regeneration and pigment fading. There are several differences between a regular tattoo and permanent makeup: firstly, the pigment is not introduced as deeply as with a regular tattoo; secondly, the image does not remain forever, as with a regular tattoo; thirdly, the image emphasizes only the contours of the face, while a regular tattoo consists of letters, signs and drawings. However, even the combination of these differences is not a sufficient basis to authorize this procedure, since it is not fundamentally different from applying a tattoo: both involve the introduction of pigment into the skin. Therefore, there are opinions that, due to the mentioned differences, applying permanent makeup will be a violation of the prohibition of the sages, and not the prohibition of the Torah. However, according to most opinions, this procedure is prohibited by the Torah as a form of tattooing.

Ancient languages ​​and their writings are filled with very deep meaning, which is why they are especially popular today Hebrew lettering tattoos.

The texts of the Jews are simply replete with aphorisms and wise speeches. And, even if a person does not consider himself to be a Jewish people and has never studied Yiddish, much less Hebrew, he has probably encountered common expressions that have passed into our language.

However, most often those who want to make themselves tattoo lettering in Hebrew encounter translation difficulties. In general, this is an understandable problem, because tattoo artists are not required to be philologists. After all, even on English Proverbs in literal translation sound completely different.

But speaking about Jewish writing, one should take into account its features:

• it is sacred, that is, filled with religious and mystical meaning;
• it is closely connected with the secret knowledge of the Torah and the esoteric teachings of Kabbalah;
• texts are written from right to left.

It is precisely for these features that they are valued Hebrew tattoo lettering, and for these same three reasons, tattoo artists make unforgivable mistakes. Therefore, topics on translation from and into Hebrew are very common on forums.

But even there you need to be very careful and try to get a translation from a real native speaker, and not from a Google translator user, who will only do you a disservice. On some sites you can see the section Hebrew tattoo with translation, in which photographs are often provided, and native speakers translate the inscriptions with all the details.

Unlike tattoos in Chinese, Latin, Italian and other languages, Jewish inscriptions are rarely one-word. Most often these are amulets, proverbs, protective prayers and parting words. Therefore, they are found in combination with Jewish symbolism.

More common are images of the star or magen of David and anchovy:

• The first personifies the six directions of space and the perfection of the Lord.
• The second symbolizes the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet “het” and the palm of the Almighty.

Both of these signs are of a protective nature and are applied together with Hebrew letters. But many people don’t have to look for long to find interesting inscriptions in Hebrew with translation, because there are plenty of them in religious sources. For example, Victoria Beckham used this beautiful saying from the Song of Songs: “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine; he grazes among the lilies,” which is written like this: “אני לדודי ודודי לי הרועה בשושנים.” This is very suitable for those who want to make a dedication to a loved one.

But there are sayings regarding God, family and many other aspects of life. But since Jews, if they follow the law and listen to the rabbi, do not get tattoos, most often tattoo lettering in Hebrew are not even associated with Jewish sources. After all, most people simply like writing itself. And the inscription can be anything.

But it is important to remember that each letter in Hebrew still has its own meaning. Therefore, you should not apply tattoos with Jewish inscriptions thoughtlessly.

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Hebrew tattoos, the meaning of which can be quite diverse, in recent years are becoming more and more popular. This may be due to the fact that many celebrities have decorated their bodies with similar tattoos. To get a Hebrew tattoo, you don’t have to have relatives in Israel: just choose a suitable quote and find an artist who can realize your idea!

How to choose a quote?

Hebrew tattoos, photos of which are given in the article, are usually made based on a person’s favorite quote or principle that guides him in life. To avoid making a mistake in your choice, you should consider some recommendations:

• Don't copy a celebrity's tattoo. This is considered bad form and a sign of a lack of personal opinion. In addition, your tastes may change over time, but the tattoo will remain with you forever (of course, unless you decide to remove it with a laser);
• the Hebrew tattoo, sketches of which you see below, should be truly meaningful to you. If you have a saying that you would like to immortalize on your body, you can go to a tattoo parlor. If you recently decided that you want to become the owner of a stylish tattoo, and found a quote on the Internet, it is better to wait. A tattoo is an extension of your personality, not a fashion statement.

Advice! Find someone who speaks Hebrew: don’t trust online translators, who can’t always recognize puns. Otherwise, in the future you may encounter a native speaker who will be confused by your tattoo.

Basic motives for tattoos

The following tattoos are usually done in Hebrew:

• names of loved ones, such as spouse, children or parents;
• sayings of idols or book quotes;
• quotes from the bible.

You can complement the tattoo with various symbols, for example, the Star of David or the all-seeing eye.

To make the tattoo look more interesting, you can enclose the letters in a frame or ribbon.

Advice! Especially for those who are afraid of pain, ointments are produced that allow the session to be carried out with virtually no discomfort. True, sometimes artists refuse to work with pain relief, because they believe that a tattoo must be accompanied by painful sensations: For some, pain is a kind of initiation into the world of tattooed people.

Features of Hebrew tattoos

Before going to a tattoo parlor, you should study some features of the chosen script:

• the letters are filled with sacred meaning: if you believe that the image on the body can influence your destiny, look for information about what additional meanings the inscription will have;
• writing is associated with the esoteric teachings of Kabbalah;
• All Hebrew text is written from right to left. Sometimes craftsmen make mistakes and apply the inscription incorrectly, so attention should be paid to this aspect.

You can decorate the inscription with anchovy or the Star of David, which have additional meaning. The Star of David symbolizes the perfection of the world created by the Lord, and the anchovy represents the palm of God, which is capable of protecting from all sorrows and misfortunes.

Jewish tradition has a clearly negative attitude towards tattoos, but tattoos can sometimes be seen on quite religious Jews. Yes and andThe tattoo industry in the United States was created by Jewish hands. The founding father of the tattoo business in New York was Lewis Alberts, nicknamed Lew the Jew. It was he, together with another famous Jewish tattoo artist, Charlie Wagner, who invented the first electric tattoo machine.

“The body is a holy and beautiful vessel created by G-d. A tattoo spoils this beauty, so we reject the practice of tattoos, but in no case people with tattoos,” says Rabbi Brian Schuldenfrei. And he refers to a passage from the Torah, which contains a direct prohibition on tattoos: “And you shall not make cuts on your body, and you shall not make inscriptions on yourself.” In the past, Jews avoided getting tattoos. Ultra-Orthodox rabbis have sometimes even expressed the opinion that a person with a tattoo should not be buried in a Jewish cemetery, although, of course, there is no such prohibition in Jewish law.

However, tattoos among Jews have become increasingly common in recent years. fashion trend. Despite the fact that the tattoo industry in North America was essentially created by Jewish hands. Lewis Alberts, nicknamed Lew the Jew, is considered the founding father of the tattoo business in New York. He was born in 1880 in the Bronx into a family of Galician immigrants, and studied at the Hebrew Technical Institute, where he qualified as a wallpaper designer. In 1898, when the Spanish-American War began, Lewis volunteered to join the army and was sent to the Philippine front. In the Philippines, where a developed tradition of body art has existed since ancient times, Liu became acquainted with the work of local tattoo artists and, after returning to New York, opened his own tattoo parlor.

Brad Fink, a tattoo historian and co-owner of Daredevil Tattoo on Division Street in New York, notes that in the early 20th century, when being Jewish in America was not considered prestigious and was even perceived as a kind of stigma, Lew proudly declared his identity: “By taking the pseudonym Lew the Jew, he probably sought to stand out from the crowd of other tattoo artists who usually took pseudo-Chinese names.”

For some time, Liu’s business partner was another famous Jewish tattoo artist, Charlie Wagner. It was they who jointly developed the first electric tattoo machine. Before her, only the manual method was used - extremely slow and painful. Wagner and Lew took as a basis the principle of operation of a device invented by Thomas Edison called the “electric pen” (Autographic Engraving Pen). This device was part of a screen printing machine - a mimeograph, which was an early prototype of modern office copying equipment. The mimeograph was built on the principle of reciprocating motion - a motor pushing a single needle. The machine, without paint, punched holes to create a stencil. The paint applied to the surface of the stencil was rolled with a roller and, penetrating through the holes, left an imprint - this is how another copy of the document was obtained. Wagner and Liu added a paint reservoir to the design and introduced the use of bundles of needles.

During the 20th century, tattooing experienced ups and downs several times. In 1943, The New York Times wrote: “In the 1990s, tattoos were at the height of fashion. British, Russian, Scandinavian crowned heads and representatives of the aristocracy sported tattoos. The late English King George V returned from a tour of Far East with a Chinese dragon on his hand. In the 20s of this century, socialites sported tattoos on their shoulders and wrists, and among New York’s golden youth it became fashionable to visit tattoo parlors opened by Japanese emigrants.” However, during the Great Depression, tattooing went out of fashion in the West; as a rule, representatives of the lower social classes became its bearers. In 1961, tattoos were banned in New York under the pretext that needles could spread hepatitis. However, in the early 90s, tattoos again became fashionable everywhere, and in 1997 the ban was lifted.

Joshua Andrews, the creator of the website Hebrewtattoo.net, an online catalog of examples of “Jewish body art,” says that his resource receives 35,000 monthly visitors, and about 50 of those decide to get a tattoo. Israeli Yoni Zilber, a tattoo artist living in Brooklyn, claims that at least once a month he is asked to do a tattoo with a Jewish theme. Footballer David Beckham got a tattoo of a quotation from the Tanakh about 10 years ago, and he is far from the only member of a small but growing group of stars increasingly appearing with Hebrew letters and Jewish symbols permanently tattooed on their skin. Beckham chose the quote for his tattoo, it seems, with a deep knowledge of Jewish history and tradition. “I belong to my beloved, and my beloved belongs to me,” is the phrase from the Song of Songs tattooed on his arm.

Sociology professor Eric Silver, author of a monograph on tattoos, argues that the spread of tattoos among Jews, as well as the increasing popularity of Jewish subjects in body art, indirectly indicates that Jews have become a monolithic part of the entire society: “When choosing a subject for a tattoo, a person usually strives to to show that he belongs to the mainstream, to the dominant culture. And if he chooses a Jewish plot, then there is nothing strange or exotic in it.”

One of the most common types of tattoos are inscriptions or phrases, usually in exotic languages. First of all, this:
- Latin;
- Arabic;
- Hindi;
- Hebrew;
- Chinese;
- Japanese.

Some especially sensible citizens first get a text tattoo, and only then begin to take an active interest in its translation.

This is why we argue that a tattoo, especially if it is a translation, should be taken very seriously. Each individual case is individual, depending on the tastes and desires of the customer. But we can still list some general points.

What do residents of Russian-speaking countries usually want to write on themselves?

Hebrew tattoos.

Phrases in Hebrew are very popular, especially religious ones (as a rule, this has nothing to do with a person’s religion). The palm here is held by Kabbalah - the mystical tradition of Judaism associated with the understanding of the Creator and Creation, human nature and the meaning of existence.

Of great importance are tattoos of the names of God, of which there are as many as 72. It is believed that each name reveals its own type of energy, which is activated by applying a tattoo of the corresponding content. Quotes from Hebrew teachings are often tattooed.

One of the most famous adherents of this theory is football player David Beckham. There is even a specialized website for lovers and connoisseurs of such tattoos. For a fee, visitors to this site can order a translation of any phrase into Hebrew, receiving a completed order within 72 hours. For an additional fee, clients can also be sent body art samples and various templates. At the same time, in Jewish (and Christian) teaching, tattooing is generally not encouraged. It is believed that this defiles the body. At the same time, there is an opinion that a tattoo religious significance helps to spiritualize the body and strengthen in the chosen teaching.

Our advice is that religious tattoos, as well as the names of dear people so beloved by many, should not be applied to the body at all, because preferences change due to various circumstances, but the inscription remains forever.

Tattoos on Arabic.

Tattoos made in Arabic look very beautiful and unusual. Like Hebrew, this language is written from right to left, which makes the result even more mysterious. But only if it is intended for use outside Muslim countries.

The fact is that Islam generally prohibits applying anything to the body by needles (although drawing with henna, for example, is possible). This is considered the stroke of Shaitan (the devil). Now, of course, the strictest rules have relaxed a little, but most of the taboos remain. So, under no circumstances should the name of the Almighty and the Prophet Muhammad be mentioned in tattoos. Images of humans and animals are also prohibited. But, for example, you can depict plants.

Tattoos in Chinese and Japanese.

There is a huge demand for Chinese and Japanese inscriptions. Due to a certain proximity of the alphabets, we will combine them into one group. For a long time, tattoos in these countries were applied exclusively to representatives of criminal clans and warriors (in most cases - one and the same), and accordingly, they were not intended for “mortals”. Even now in China and Japan, a tiny percentage of people get tattoos in these languages, preferring all sorts of European ones.

A beautiful story about the military leader Yue Fei made a breakthrough. Without unnecessary ranting (details can be found in any search engine), let’s say that this brave warrior pinned himself with four hieroglyphs “limitless”, “devotion”, “serve”, “country”, which, according to legend, radically changed his life more than once. After the story became known to the general public many centuries later, oriental amulets tattoos became very popular in the West.

At the moment, Chinese characters are divided into two groups - mainland China and Hong Kong and Taiwan. Previously, hieroglyphs were written everywhere from right to left or from top to bottom (like Hebrew and Arabic), but globalization has taken its toll, so now they use the traditional European writing from left to right. Although in Taiwan, vertical text is still used on an equal basis with horizontal text. In Japan, only the “left to right” option is used.

In Hindi and Latin, everything is initially simpler; there are no special text directions. However (this applies to all the languages ​​listed), no matter what, it is always definitely better to find a suitable phrase in the desired language than to translate it from Russian. Idiomatic expressions are such that they carry within them a particle of untranslatable flavor of speech that evaporates during translation.

And one more piece of advice from professionals: don’t be trivial. Since you’ve decided to decorate your body, come up with something really interesting. The ambigram style is very popular now - special way images of words in which the text can be read in more than one direction, or the image is constructed in such a way that the phrase is read differently from different angles.

In general, you shouldn’t consider a tattoo as something very important. This is, after all, just a drawing, although in some way it reflects your essence. Here's a recent example: "Heroes" star Hayden Pannetieri decided to have the inscription "Vivere Senza Rimpianti" on herself, which means "Live without regrets." It must be said that Hayden completely followed this wise advice and was not at all worried about the fact that the tattoo artist injected her with an extra letter “i” in the word “rim(i)pianti.” What difference does it make, it’s still just for yourself.
Based on materials from: Gulfstream Translation Agency