Q&A: Desecration of God's Name
Desecration of God's Name
Question
Desecration of God’s name today is perceived as doing something immoral or contrary to Jewish law by a person with visible religious markers (a kippah, tzitzit hanging out, etc.).
If a person is aware that he messes up and commits transgressions, should he avoid going out dressed in a way that looks visibly Jewish?
Should I tell someone returning to observance to go without a kippah because I know he is still not aware of all the transgressions, and he will cause a desecration of God’s name?
Unlike the baraita in Kiddushin 40a, I’m not talking about what to do in the context of a desecration of God’s name when I am about to sin. I’m talking about how much one should be concerned about desecration of God’s name in day-to-day life, especially since we know that most people are not perfect.
Answer
No. He should avoid committing transgressions. When he sees that his impulse is overcoming him, there are the words of Rabbi Ilai in Moed Katan 16a (that he should go to a distant place and do what his heart desires), but most halakhic decisors did not rule in accordance with him.
Discussion on Answer
Rabbi Michi, what do you think about what happened with Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Feivelson?
https://www.kikar.co.il/364753.html
You know the rabbi, right?
I’d also be happy to hear what you think of his teachings.
I didn’t understand the question. What do I think about the fact that they threatened him with a knife? In my opinion, they should be invited to the commendation ceremony at the President of the State’s residence.
I don’t know the details.
My second question was: do you know Rabbi Feivelson? And what do you think of his ideas?
And I answered that I don’t know the details, so there is no point in expressing an opinion.
Come on, beatings, come on—come on, “sanctification of God’s name”…
https://mobile.kikar.co.il/article/364869
They tell about the Rebbe, the holy gaon of Nasod, may the memory of the righteous be a blessing, that once he was walking on the streets of Bucharest on the holy Sabbath, wearing a shtreimel on his head. In those days the state of Judaism in Bucharest was at a very low ebb. As he was walking through the city streets, some Jew ran after him and rebuked him, saying: “Rabbi, you should know that right now you are causing an enormous and terrible desecration of God’s name by walking through the city streets on the holy Sabbath wearing a shtreimel.”
The holy gaon of Nasod, who was a wise man, answered him: “Now I understand what counts, for you, as a desecration of God’s name: walking in the street on the holy Sabbath with a shtreimel. Perhaps now you would be so kind as to reveal the secret to me—what is called, among you, a sanctification of God’s name?” The man answered and said: “If the rabbi wants to know what is called, among us, a sanctification of God’s name, I’ll tell you something amazing: one of my neighbors made a circumcision ceremony for his son, and he honored the priest with serving as sandak. Now tell me, is that not a great sanctification of God’s name???????????”