Q&A: Desecration of God’s Name
Desecration of God’s Name
Question
What is the precise definition of desecration of God’s name?
Answer
Simply put, it is something that brings about a diminishing of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the eyes of the inhabitants of the world. That seems to me the simple and accepted definition. Do you have some particular difficulty with it? If so, it would be worth spelling it out. It is hard to conduct a discussion this way.
Discussion on Answer
I don’t think so. Just as we would not consider being strict about the Jewish laws of the Sabbath to be desecration of God’s name even though it looks strange in people’s eyes. However, in a place where the strangeness is itself in a religious context, then maybe yes (like the shawl women).
If we are talking about something that is not an obligation, why should it not be considered desecration of God’s name? (As for the examples I mentioned, I am not sure there is any halakhic issue involved in them at all.)
People understand that these are religious markers. There may be situations where it would indeed be desecration of God’s name. Each case has to be judged on its own.
Obviously people understand that these are religious markers, but it certainly does not draw them closer, because they do not want to look strange.
If a person very strongly emphasizes religious markers, such as a large kippah, a shaved head, long sidelocks, a long beard, and so on, and looks very strange in the eyes of most people, is that desecration of God’s name?