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In a few weeks the local library is having a fair. They had on last year with a silly hat contest and mini golf among the stacks. They decided to do it again, and this year the circular says they’re going to offer henna tattoos. My 14 year old wants to know if I’d let her get one. On the one hand, it’s only temporary. On the other hand, according to Wikipedia it comes from Hindu practices. But then again, I remember reading in a Rachel Pomerantz novel where a Yemenite Jewish girl gets married and she and her friends get henna tattoos on their hands before the big day.
I would rather save my “No’s” for when I need then, instead of saying “No” as a first response.
Any thoughts?
If you just called it a henna and left the word tattoo out , im sure you woyld have no isdues . Correct? I think the title “tattoo” is what is making you think twice, not the hindu aspect.
Why not ask your Rov?
As far as I understand, if I remember correctly, assuming it’s actually temporary it’s not osser as a tattoo. It may be a חוקס הגו
Its not any more goyish then say eating ice cream or doing s BBQ
getting a temporary tattoo is one step closer to getting a permenant tattoo which is assur min hatorah, so i would stay away from that.
That is like saying eating beef is only one step away from eating pork.
What about maris ayin?
ask your rav not coffee room, ours said no
14 years old is old enough to make this decision.
Years ago we knew a young couple where the wife was a Yemenite and the husband was an American ger. When they were married in a traditional Yemenite ceremony, they both got henna tattoos. We saw the photos. I believe it was only on their hands. So presumably it’s a custom of Yemenite Jews. That’s not an endorsement of your daughter getting one. As others have said, ask a rav.
First off these are not tattoos. They are merely non permanent decorations. These decorations go back centuries and were not limited to Indians, or Arabic peoples. As mentioned above they are common among some Yemenite Jews. Why not look at some images of them on google to form an opinion? IMHO it’s easy enough to learn how to do these at home.
“it’s about standards”
If it doesnt meet the torahs standard it is prohibited, if it does, it is permitted. why do you need a standard different than the torahs? who better than help define the torahs standard for you, than your rav?
There happens to be another concern here. Some henna tattoos include other, less safe ingredients.
Jeans, nail polish colors and secular videos all likely include halachic questions. Not realizing that can be a problem.
Mrs. Plony: Thank you for a voice of reason and moderation. We spend far too much time worrying about whether what the other guy does is assur, and far less time than we should wondering about what we should be doing ourselves. There is more than one way of being frum.
” There’s a concept of ‘naval birshus haTorah’. There’s a concept of ‘es past nisht’.”
who better than to guide you along the path of what “past” and what not than your rav? there is also a concept called chassid shoteh.
That’s interesting. I live in Israel and many yemenite and sefardi brides have a henna party on their vort and it’s a old tradition. I was at the vort of a good friend of mine who is sefardi and there was a massive henna party. It’s pretty common over here.
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