MA State Law (https://www.mass.gov/doc/body-art-establishments-model-regulations/download#:~:text=(A)%20No%20tattooing%2C%20piercing,under%20the%20age%20of%2018.)
Tattoo means the indelible mark, figure or decorative design introduced by insertion of dyes or pigments into or under the subcutaneous portion of the skin. Tattooing means any method of placing ink or other pigment into or under the skin by the aid of needles or any other instrument used to puncture the skin, resulting in permanent coloration of the skin. This term includes all forms of cosmetic tattooing.
(A) No tattooing, branding or scarification shall be performed on a person under the age of 18. (B) Body piercing may be performed on a person under the age of 18 provided that the person is accompanied by a properly identified parent, legal custodial parent or legal guardian who has signed a form consenting to such procedure.
וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹקִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹקִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם׃
And God created humankind in the divine image, creating it in the image of God—creating them male and female.
וְשֶׂ֣רֶט לָנֶ֗פֶשׁ לֹ֤א תִתְּנוּ֙ בִּבְשַׂרְכֶ֔ם וּכְתֹ֣בֶת קַֽעֲקַ֔ע לֹ֥א תִתְּנ֖וּ בָּכֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָֽה׃
You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you (aka, tattoos): I am the Adonai.
(ו) הכותב כתבת קעקע, כתב ולא קעקע, קעקע ולא כתב, אינו חיב עד שיכתוב ויקעקע בדיו ובכחול ובכל דבר שהוא רושם. רבי שמעון בן יהודה משום רבי שמעון אומר: אינו חיב עד שיכתוב שם השם, שנאמר (ויקרא יט) וכתבת קעקע לא תתנו בכם אני ה׳.
(6) With regard to one who tattoos his skin, [if] he made a mark [an incision in his skin] but did not tattoo in it [that is, did not fill it in with ink, or] tattooed in it [that is, made ink marks on the surface of his skin] but did not make a mark [so that the process of tattooing was not completed] -- he is not liable. He is liable [only] when he marks and tattoos with ink or eye paint or anything that leaves a [permanent] mark. Rabbi Simon ben Judah says in the name of Rabbi Simon, 'He is liable only when he writes the name of God,' as it is written in the Torah Leviticus 10: Do not incise any marks on yourselves: I am the LORD."
[יא] "כְּתֹבֶת קַעֲקַע" (ויקרא יט,כח) הָאֲמוּרָה בַּתּוֹרָה, הוּא שֶׁיִּשְׂרֹט עַל בְּשָׂרוֹ וִימַלֵּא מְקוֹם הַשְּׂרִיטָה כֹּחַל אוֹ דְּיוֹ אוֹ שְׁאָר צִבְעוֹנִין הָרוֹשְׁמִין; וְזֶה הָיָה מִנְהַג הַגּוֹיִים שֶׁרוֹשְׁמִין עַצְמָן לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שֶׁלָּהֶן, כְּלוֹמַר שְׁהוּא עֶבֶד מָכוּר לָהּ וּמֻרְשָׁם לַעֲבוֹדָתָהּ.
וּמֵעֵת שֶׁיִּרְשֹׁם בְּאֶחָד מִדְּבָרִים הָרוֹשְׁמִים אַחַר שֶׁיִּשְׂרֹט, בְּאֵי זֶה מָקוֹם מִן הַגּוּף, בֵּין אִישׁ בֵּין אִשָּׁה--לוֹקֶה.
כָּתַב וְלֹא רָשַׁם בִּצְבָע, אוֹ שֶׁרָשַׁם בִּצְבָע וְלֹא כָתַב בִּשְׂרִיטָה--פָּטוּר: עַד שֶׁיִּכְתֹּב וִיקַעְקַע, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "וּכְתֹבֶת קַעֲקַע" (ויקרא יט,כח).
Maimonides, Mishneh Torah: Laws of Idolatry 12:11
"Incising a mark." The prohibition of tattooing that is biblically derived is making an incision in one's flesh and filling the incision with eye paint, ink, or any dye that leaves an imprint. This was the practice of idolaters who [permanently] marked their bodies for the sake of their idol worship...
When one makes an imprint with one of the substances [listed above], the punishment of lashes is carried out, whether it is a man or a woman.
אַ֤ךְ אֶת־זֶה֙ לֹ֣א תֹֽאכְל֔וּ מִֽמַּעֲלֵי֙ הַגֵּרָ֔ה וּמִמַּפְרִסֵ֖י הַפַּרְסָ֑ה אֶֽת־הַ֠גָּמָ֠ל כִּֽי־מַעֲלֵ֨ה גֵרָ֜ה ה֗וּא וּפַרְסָה֙ אֵינֶ֣נּוּ מַפְרִ֔יס טָמֵ֥א ה֖וּא לָכֶֽם׃ וְאֶת־הַשָּׁפָ֗ן כִּֽי־מַעֲלֵ֤ה גֵרָה֙ ה֔וּא וּפַרְסָ֖ה לֹ֣א יַפְרִ֑יס טָמֵ֥א ה֖וּא לָכֶֽם׃ וְאֶת־הָאַרְנֶ֗בֶת כִּֽי־מַעֲלַ֤ת גֵּרָה֙ הִ֔וא וּפַרְסָ֖ה לֹ֣א הִפְרִ֑יסָה טְמֵאָ֥ה הִ֖וא לָכֶֽם׃ וְאֶת־הַ֠חֲזִ֠יר כִּֽי־מַפְרִ֨יס פַּרְסָ֜ה ה֗וּא וְשֹׁסַ֥ע שֶׁ֙סַע֙ פַּרְסָ֔ה וְה֖וּא גֵּרָ֣ה לֹֽא־יִגָּ֑ר טָמֵ֥א ה֖וּא לָכֶֽם׃ מִבְּשָׂרָם֙ לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֔לוּ וּבְנִבְלָתָ֖ם לֹ֣א תִגָּ֑עוּ טְמֵאִ֥ים הֵ֖ם לָכֶֽם׃ אֶת־זֶה֙ תֹּֽאכְל֔וּ מִכֹּ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמָּ֑יִם כֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ֩ סְנַפִּ֨יר וְקַשְׂקֶ֜שֶׂת בַּמַּ֗יִם בַּיַּמִּ֛ים וּבַנְּחָלִ֖ים אֹתָ֥ם תֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃
The following, however, of those that either chew the cud or have true hoofs, you shall not eat...the swine (pig)—although it has true hoofs, with the hoofs cleft through, it does not chew the cud: it is impure for you. You shall not eat of their flesh or touch their carcasses; they are impure for you.
From: "For Some Jews it Only Sounds Like Taboo", New York Times 7/17/2008, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/fashion/17SKIN.html?_r=0
According to a 2007 poll of 1,500 people conducted by the Pew Research Center, 36 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds and 40 percent of 26- to 40-year-olds have at least one tattoo...
The edict (that Jews with tattoos cannot be buried in a Jewish cemetery) isn’t true. The eight rabbinical scholars interviewed for this article, from institutions like the Jewish Theological Seminary and Yeshiva University, said it’s an urban legend, most likely started because a specific cemetery had a policy against tattoos. Jewish parents and grandparents picked up on it and over time, their distaste for tattoos was presented as scriptural doctrine.
כַּבֵּ֥ד אֶת־אָבִ֖יךָ וְאֶת־אִמֶּ֑ךָ לְמַ֙עַן֙ יַאֲרִכ֣וּן יָמֶ֔יךָ עַ֚ל הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־ה׳ אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃ {ס}
Honor your father and your mother, that you may long endure on the land that your God Adonai is assigning to you.
וכל עבירות שבתורה מכל העולם לא והכתיב (ויקרא כו, לז) וכשלו איש באחיו איש בעון אחיו מלמד שכל ישראל ערבים זה בזה
The entire Jewish people are responsible for one another.
Rabbi Alan Lucas, Jewish Committee on Laws and Standards (Rabbinical Assembly of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism)
In our day, the prohibition against all forms of tattooing regardless of their intent, should be maintained. In addition to the fact that Judaism has a long history of distaste for tattoos, tattooing becomes even more distasteful in a contemporary secular society that is constantly challenging the Jewish concept that we are created b’tzelem Elokim (in the image of G-d) and that our bodies are to be viewed as a precious gift on loan from G-d, to be entrusted into our care and [are] not our personal property to do with as we choose. Voluntary tattooing even if not done for idolatrous purposes expresses a negation of this fundamental Jewish perspective.
As tattoos become more popular in contemporary society, there is a need to reinforce the prohibition against tattooing in our communities and counterbalance it with education regarding the traditional concept that we are created b’tzelem Elokim. But, however distasteful we may find the practice there is no basis for restricting burial to Jews who violate this prohibition or even limiting their participation in synagogue ritual. The fact that someone may have violated the laws of kashrut at some point in his or her life or violated the laws of Shabbat would not merit such sanctions; the prohibition against tattooing is certainly no worse. It is only because of the permanent nature of the tattoo that the transgression is still visible.
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