Respect Your Body

 לא תקפו פאת ראשכם ולא תשחית את פאת זקנך ושרט לנפש לא תתנו בבשרכם וכתבת קעקע לא תתנו בכם אני ה

Why are these two prohibitions of cutting into the flesh for a death and tattooing juxtaposed? 

 

The Rambam, and in his footsteps the Chinuch, understand these prohibitions of destroying the not cutting one's self for a dead relative and tattooing are to distance one's self from idolatry as these were practices done by priests or in worship of idols and the Torah prohibits these activities to distance our selves from idolatry.  According to that view these prohibitions are based upon the same philosophical underpinnings and hence lumped together.  

The Sforno takes a different approach to understand the philosophy behind these prohibitions.  The Sforno says that the prohibition of cutting one's skin as mourning a death is prohibited for it demonstrates that one does not believe in life after death.  This is excessive mourning demonstrated by those who value the existence of the body over the soul.  On the other hand the Torah tells us that one's body is important and one must not mutilate it by adding tattoos.   According to the Sforno the Torah is giving us a balance.  On the one and we recognize that the soul is the true life force and that carries on after death but at  the same time the body must also be treated with respect for the body of a person is holy as well.  (See Rabbi Cooperman who has a different understanding of the Sforno.) 

The Or HaChayim understands that both prohibitions are rooted in the idea of the body is something that must be honored and that is why must not cut into the flesh as a sign of mourning either for one has no right to destroy their skin.  That is why the Torah says ושרט לנפש, by attacking your body you are desecrating the life force inside of it.  The Or HaChayim notes a difference in the wording of the possuk  between cutting one's self for the dead it says לא תתנו בבשרכם vs. the tattoo it says לא תתנו בכם, why the change in terminology?  He explains when it comes to the dead relative since one is in pain their actions are more understandable and the desecration is only skin deep but one who tattoos themselves destroys the internal kedusha of himself as well.    

This approach in understanding the prohibition of tattoos because the body has kedusha which should not be destroyed is followed by Rebbe Nason in Likutay Halachos, כִּי צָרִיךְ לִשְׁמֹר בְּשַֹר הַגּוּף שֶׁלֹּא לְקַלְקְלוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא לַחֲקֹק בּוֹ כְּתֹבֶת קַעֲקַע, שֶׁלֹּא לְקַלְקֵל צֶלֶם דְּמוּת הָאָדָם שֶׁכָּלוּל מִכָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת וְיֵשׁ לוֹ בַּכֹּחַ בְּכָל אֵיבָר וְאֵיבָר וּבְכָל חֵלֶק מִבְּשַֹר גּוּפוֹ מְיֻחָד כְּנֶגֶד חֵלֶק מֵחֶלְקֵי הָעוֹלָם לְהַמְשִׁיךְ הָעוֹלָם לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כִּי כָּל חֵלֶק מֵחֶלְקֵי גּוּפוֹ, וּכְנֶגֶד כַּמָּה נְפָשׁוֹת, כִּי מִנְהוֹן תַּלְיָן בְּאוּדְנִין, וּמִנְהוֹן בְּשַֹעֲרִין וְכוּ'. ... אֲבָל אָסוּר לַחֲקֹק בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת שׁוּם אוֹת בְּעוֹר גּוּפוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ כְּתֹבֶת קַעֲקַע, כִּי אַדְּרַבָּא, מִזֶּה מְקַלְקֵל וּמַחֲרִיב בִּנְיַן גּוּפוֹ הַכָּלוּל מִכָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת כַּנַּ"ל, כִּי צָרִיךְ לְהַדֵּר אֶת גּוּפוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בִּשְׁלֵמוּת בְּלִי שׁוּם חֲקִיקָה, כִּי גּוּפוֹ כָּלוּל מִכָּל אוֹתִיּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה.  Rebbe Nason adds more kabbalistic overtones but the thrust is the same idea that the body is holy and must be treated with respect. 

This message is part of the general message of the parsha.  For many of the mitzvot in the parsha it says at the end אני ה or אני ה אלוקיכם.  Why emphasis this so many times?  The Torah is emphasizing that it is through the mitzvot done with one's body, through the mundane mitzvot, that one obtains kedusha.  By honoring, respecting and sanctifying the body ones obtains kedusha.