Bible references

Key NT Scriptures

• 1 Corinthians 11:4-16
  Click to retrieve 1 Corinthians 11:4-16
• 1 Timothy 2:9

Key OT Scriptures

• Deuteronomy 14:1-2
  Jewish Commentary
• Deuteronomy 22:5
  Jewish Commentary
• Deuteronomy 22:11
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 10:6
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 19:19
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 19:27-28
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 21:5-6
  Jewish Commentary
• Leviticus 22:24
  Jewish Commentary

Bible verses copyright: PUBLIC DOMAIN except in the United Kingdom, where a Crown Copyright applies to printing the KJV. See http://www.cambridge.org/about-us/who-we-are/queens-printers-patent

Commentary

Rabbi Michael Rudolph

A common feature of the Scriptures supporting this Mitzvah is that they speak against conduct that detracts from some aspect of God's holy order. By "holy order" I mean the natural order of things from the creation, before the "Fall", that reflects God's will and perfection. One would hope that the Scriptures cited are self-evident and that man would want to obey them. Sadly, however, there are many perversions rampant in today's society, and ungodly forces agitating to hold them out as acceptable. The Scriptures that teach against wearing two species of thread (animal wool and vegetable linen) or sowing two species of seeds are symbolic of not mating two species of animals. With modern manufactured clothing such as we wear, it is not possible to know what kinds of threads have been used to make our clothing, but modern clothing is not known to combine wool and linen. Today there is no universal standard of what constitutes a male or female garment. It is defined by the culture in which the garment is worn, and tends to change over time. For example, women in the western countries wear slacks, whereas in years gone by they did not because slacks were then thought to be for men only. The prohibitions against marking one's skin, cutting one's flesh, and trimming one's hair and beard in certain styles deserve special mention because tattooing, body piercing, and bizarre hair styles have become increasingly popular. The commandments prohibiting them were given at a time when each of them was a recognized heathen practice, and anyone who exhibited any one of them was, essentially, declaring himself to be an idolater. Castration also mars the body, but its affect is more profound and will be dealt with separately elsewhere. It is still the case that permanent markings, disfigurements, extreme hair styles, and cross-dressing are with us today. Idol worship in its classical sense is no longer the issue, but rebellion against godly norms is, as is illustrated by "Punk" and "Goth" appearances that emphasize darkness over light. In addition, tattooing, cutting, and gross piercing permanently disfigures the body that God gave us and, for that reason, should be understood to not be God's will despite any religious theme (e.g. a cross) that a tattoo or item of jewelry attached to piercings may have. A believer who receives one of these knowing beforehand that Scripture prohibits them commits sin; one who receives a tattoo innocently has not committed sin, but he or she should refrain from making it visibly obvious because of what it implies. Once a tattoo has been received it is permanent, and if the wearer repents in Yeshua, any sin that may have been committed concerning it is over and done with. In my opinion, there is no continuing responsibility to attempt to remove a tattoo surgically.

Classical commentators

Maimonides, Meir, and HaChinuch treat the Scriptures cited herein similarly and literally, and connect them to the practices of idol worshippers. Gashing and balding the head (tearing out hair) over the dead are illustrative of those practices. HaChinuch refers to God's evaluation of the creation in Genesis 1:31 : " God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good. " To attempt to alter what God made is therefore very bad, and is sin.

Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2

Drawings

Artist: Jenske Visser

Source and License

Based on The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective by Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster.

Volume 1 & 2 | Volume 3

License: CC BY-ND 4.0 (Attribution required, NoDerivatives). CC BY-ND 4.0

Disclaimer: the original content is authored by Rabbi Michael Rudolph and Rabbi Daniel Juster; additional notes or implementation details on this website are not part of their original work and do not represent their views.

Record source: The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective - Volume 1 & 2

Copyright note: Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2