Q&A: On Desecration of God’s Name
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
On Desecration of God’s Name
Question
Hello Rabbi, I would be glad to know what the definition of desecration of God’s name is, and whether it is really true that the idea that only death atones applies to everything included in this broad concept?
Answer
There are many things that count as desecration of God’s name (as detailed by Maimonides in Chapter 5 of the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah). It is very likely that what appears from section 10 onward does not require death for atonement. However, I don’t have time right now to look for sources on this. Perhaps those are subsidiary forms of desecration of God’s name.