“You shall not desecrate My holy Name, rather I should be sanctified among the Children of Israel …” (Vayikra 22:32)
The mitzvah of kiddush Hashem – sanctifying the Name of Hashem and the prohibition against making a chillul Hashem – desecrating the Name of Hashem, are both introduced here in the Torah. How do we define these two mitzvos?
The Chinuch writes that the root of the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem is that man was only created to serve Hashem. If one does not surrender himself completely to the service of Hashem then he is not a good servant. Rabbeinu Yonah in Shaarei Teshuva states that man was created to give honor to Hashem, as it says (Yeshaya 43:7), “Everyone … whom I have created for My glory …”
Chillul Hashem is when one denies the reason for his being in the world and disgraces the word of Hashem, resulting in the profanity of the name of Hashem.
The Rambam (Yesodei HaTorah) describes these two mitzvos in greater detail. He notes that one who abstains from doing an aveirah, or he performs a mitzvah, simply because he was so commanded by Hashem – and not for any ulterior motive, fear of Hashem, or to seek honor – he sanctifies the Name of Hashem, effectively scoring two mitzvos at once. He writes further that one who willingly transgresses one of the mitzvos in the Torah in order to anger Hashem has transgressed the prohibition of chillul Hashem. The Torah therefore states regarding taking an oath in vain (Vayikra 19:12), “You are desecrating the Name of Hashem.” If it was committed in the presence of ten Jews, he has desecrated the Name of Hashem in public.
The Sefer Yechi Reuven, in commenting on the Rambam’s choice to cite the transgression of taking an oath in vain as an example of chillul Hashem, points out that other situations could be attributed to one’s strong yetzer hara or the appeal of profit or benefit. There is no real enjoyment or advantage to taking an oath in vain, however, other than to deliberately rebel against the word of Hashem. This is comparable to the account in the Talmud (Erchin 15b) that in the future all the animals will confront the serpent saying: The lion and the wolf kill their prey and eat it, but what pleasure do you have from biting, as you cannot eat the animal? Furthermore, we know that the serpent was punished that “it would eat dirt all its days” (Bereishis 3:14), and the Talmud (Yuma 75a) expounds that whatever it eats will always taste like dirt. Thus, the serpent is not killing his prey for personal enjoyment.
We learn in Avos (4:4), “Whoever desecrates the Name of Hashem in secret, intentionally or unintentionally, will be punished in public.” In fact, though, it makes no difference rather one’s intent was to anger Hashem or because one could not suppress his yetzer hara, as Hashem says (Yirmiyah 23:24), “Can a man hide and I will not see him?” That is what is meant in the exchange recounted in the Talmud (Brachos 28b) between R’ Yochanan Zakai and his disciples.
The disciples visited R’ Yochanan Zakai when he was ill and requested that he bless them. He said, “May it be His will that the fear of Heaven shall be upon you like the fear of flesh and blood.” They asked, “Shouldn’t one fear Hashem even more?” R’ Yochanan ben Zakai responded, “If only a person would achieve that level of fear, for when one transgresses he says to himself: I hope no one sees me.” If a person has developed his emunah to the point that he understands that Hashem watches and sees every deed that we do, wherever we do it, he will never sin.
The Sefer Rishon L’Tzion cites the Medrash Shmuel, in the name of the Meiri, that when a person causes a chillul Hashem it is because he was not careful with the honor of Hashem. Even if he sinned accidentally, it is as if he had sinned wittingly. This is especially true concerning the care that needs to be taken where the written name of Hashem is found.
R’ Bentzion Mutzafi was once called upon to make a bracha under the chuppah at the marriage of a young couple. When he was handed the cup R’ Mutzafi began to study it intently. No one could understand what the Rav was looking at. R’ Mutzafi had noticed that the holy names of Hashem were inscribed on the inside of the cup, and he immediately asked the father of the chosson about it. The mechutan told him that he had received the cup from a mekubal (mystic) to whom he had given a large donation. The “mystic” had instructed the mechutan to use the cup underneath the chuppah to ensure the success of the marriage.
R’ Mutzafi immediately poured the contents of the cup into a plain glass, and then recited the bracha under the chuppah. He explain to the mechutan, “Whoever gave this cup to you has no understanding of kabbalah.”
Our sages teach in Makkos (22a) that one must be very careful not to cause the Name of Hashem to become rubbed out or effaced. Even the obliteration of one letter of His name is a Torah prohibition punishable by malkus (lashes).
“The source of great bracha could chas v’shalom have become exactly the opposite,” said R’ Mutzafi, as he instructed the father of the chosson to store the cup and never to use it at all.
Even an inanimate object can cause a chillul Hashem!
