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Thursday, April 19, 2012

Tattoo meaning

A few people have asked me about the meaning of my tattoo, and while I haven't gone into a long explanation about it, there actually is a long explanation behind it:

1. I wanted another tattoo
2. We were going to Israel, where tattoos are popular and providers are highly regulated
3. I wanted a tattoo of Hebrew letters
3a. Something short and sweet
3b. To proclaim my Jewishness
3c. To capture my feelings about being Jewish

I decided on sh'ma because it's short, very central to Judaism (the first word in the most important prayer in Judaism), it has a very important English/secular meaning - "listen," and the letters are pretty - shin, mem, ayin.

I decided on my right wrist because I wanted a very visible location and because of Psalm 137:5 (written after the Jews were expelled from Zion) ~ "If I forget Jerusalem, may my right hand forget it's cunning" (which is the King James translation; it's also translated as "may my right hand whither") - additionally referencing my commitment to both Judaism and Israel.

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