Did I do something assur?

Posted: Mon, Jan 10 2011, 3:30 pm Post subject: Did I do something assur?

for my preschool aged daughters birthday, one of the activities that I planned was washable tattoos for her and her friends. they were very innocent pictures of flowers, butterflies, ballet shoes, etc that you apply to the skin and then wash off with soap and water.

I didnt think about the halacha of no permanent tattoos until once the activity was well underway when someone brought it up. now I feel terrible that I chose this tattoo activity, especially since there is someone at the party whose close relative is a holocaust survivor.

were these tattoos assur? or just really insensitive? or ok?

I'm posting anon. because I'm so embarrased that I did this!

Posted: Mon, Jan 10 2011, 3:43 pm Post subject: re: Did I do something assur?

My dh's school allowed such activity.

I read that this is like henna (doesn't stay a long time) hence allowed. Make up staying for months, I learned most forbid already, and a real tattoo "forever", everyone.

Ask a rav if you're still stressed!
_________________

"You will have many many children and make successful shidduchim beh", rebbetzin Esther Jungreis
"It's all cultural, disagree respectfully", me

Posted: Mon, Jan 10 2011, 3:53 pm Post subject: re: Did I do something assur?

According to my rav in seminary, theres a 2 part issur in real tattoos. Ksoves and Kaakua. Ksoves is the act of writing on the skin, and kaakua is injecting stuff below the skin.
Ksoves kaakua- as in injecting ink below the skin- is assur di'oraisa.
According to my sem rav, doing half of the issur dioraisa is an issur dirabbanan. So if you just do the ksoves part its an issur dioraisa and if its just the kaakua part, its an issur dioraisa.
Hence, according to him, washable tattoos as well as writing on your skin with anything, or henna or anything of that sort is an issur dirabbanan.

But I bet there are people that would disagree. This was according to a litvish ashkenazic posek.

I bet rabbanim in circles where its traditional to do Henna would probably pasken differently.

Posted: Mon, Jan 10 2011, 3:56 pm Post subject: re: Did I do something assur?

I think that in societies that allow henna it is only on one place, the palms of the hands, and only under particular circumstances, and only in a circular pattern and not anything like a tatoo.
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"Olam Chessed Yiboneh", Tehilim 89.

Platinum Member Joined: Jan 01 2006 Posts: 48224

dd used to love playing with that sort of thing. I never thought to ask; it's not permanent.

Posted: Mon, Jan 10 2011, 5:55 pm Post subject: re: Did I do something assur?

ouch!

during my HS years, I once did one of those things for fun, on my upper arm.
A few days later I went to buy bra's and had someone fit me in the dressing room.
TOO LATE! there was my 'tattoo' for all to see! it was very embarrassing!

but I never thought twice about such a thing, made me think, OP!
I will try to find out if this is really a problem.

Silver Member Joined: Nov 23 2007 Posts: 704

I never thought of it as assur since it is not permanent. Although I disdain them on my kids now because they take forever to wear off. When they do beg me to allow one be put on, I usually agree as long as it is in a place covered by a sleeve. THey are 6 and 4 yrs old.

I never thought to ask my rav.

Gold Member Joined: Jul 31 2009 Posts: 1244

Is this different than the face painting I see kids with in the summer (usually)?

Gold Member Joined: Apr 29 2010 Posts: 1029

My gut reaction is that it would seem fine halachically, but I would have issue calling them "tattoos" to my kids. If I would let them use them (they've 5 and under and never asked) I would probably call them stickers.

Silver Member Joined: Aug 24 2009 Posts: 653

Oh, wow, it would've never occurred to me to think that these things could be a problem. I used to use them as a kid, with cartoon character designs and stuff like that.
This got me thinking about something my dd had a little while ago: we were at a toy store and they were demonstrating this body art activity kit where you stencil glittery shapes on your skin. You put a stencil over your skin, then paint special glue on it, and sprinkle this fine body glitter over the shape. They were offering free samples, so dd got a glittery pink butterfly on her hand. It lasted about a week. I wonder what this would be considered, is it like writing on your skin or is it in a different category since there is no actual writing involved. Hmmm.

Platinum Member Joined: Dec 27 2007 Posts: 7374

it's just like face painting, there is no issur. Ask your rav, but e/t I've seen says it's fine. google it if you don't want to ask.

Posted: Tue, Jan 11 2011, 8:48 am Post subject: re: Did I do something assur?

Enjoy

Posted: Tue, Jan 11 2011, 11:10 am Post subject: re: Did I do something assur?

If it was assur then how would it be okay for a lot of sefardim to have hennas before their weddings??

Gold Member Joined: May 09 2007 Posts: 1360

Ruchel, what time frame are those pictures from?

You might want to translate some of the captions for people utterly unfamiliar with French.

Posted: Tue, Jan 11 2011, 11:32 am Post subject: re: Did I do something assur?

The pics are telling without the text too Smile

Photographer Bernard Rouget lived in Morocco from 1940 to 1974. Moroccan Jewesses of various ethnicities. Here represented: mainly Mizrachi & Berber with some Sefardic influences.

Interesting (off topic) text: only the wearing of the wig allows us to distinguish married and single girls.
(http://imamother.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=75290 for those who can't stand the thought, as usual...)

Gold Member Joined: Aug 11 2010 Posts: 1295

Gold Member Joined: Aug 11 2010 Posts: 1295

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