"Every form of Chillul Hashem lowers the awareness of the Divine Presence in the world. But if the desecrator happens to be a professed Torah observer or, even worse, a so-called scholar of the Torah, then the Chilllul Hashem not only weakens the respect for Torah on one hand, but strengthens on the other hand the defiance of the non-religious insurrection all around.”
The Almighty, says Rav Schwab, has little patience for those involved in actions that degrade the His holy name.
“He who has committed Chillul Hashem, even Teshuvah, Yom Kippur and suffering cannot fully atone for his sin until the day of his death.” (Yoma 86)
“Better to commit a sin in secrecy than to commit Chillul Hashem in public.” (Kiddushin 40)
There is no delay in the Divine punishment for Chillul Hashem, whether committed knowingly or unknowingly.” (Kiddushin 40)
“If one steals from a non-Jew, swears falsely and dies, his death is no atonement for his sin because of Chillul Hashem.” (Tosefta B. Kamma, 10)
“He who desecrates the name of Heaven in secrecy is punished in public.” (Avos 4)
“All sins are forgiven by G-d but Chillul Hashem. He punishes immediately.” (Sifri Haazinu)
Tragically, the Chillul Hashem wrought by the unfolding horrific happenings of our day, is a scenario that does not stand isolated. Rav Schwab, himself, cites startling indistinguishable events of his day, as he further reverberates the agonizing ring of truth.
“….Some perpetrators of Chillul Hashem are making the headlines of our daily newspaper,” he writes. “Certainly we are not sitting in judgement of the persons who are publicly accused….However, be it as it may, the Chillul Hashem is there in the worst possible way. “Rabbi” so and so, who sits in court with his velvet Yarmulka in full view of a television audience composed of millions of viewers, is accused of having ruthlessly enriched himself at the expense of others, flaunting the laws of G-d and man, exploiting, conniving, and manipulating – in short, desecrating all the fundamentals of Torah Judaism…”
Woe to us and woe to what has ensued as a result of the disgraceful blemish placed upon us by the actions of a few!
“While it is obvious,” continues Rav Schwab, “that the vast majority of loyal and observant Torah Jews deal honestly and correctly with their fellow men, a very small minority of criminal perpetrators suffices to cast sinister aspersions on all orthodox Jews and, what is worse, on orthodox Judaism as a way of life. The Chillul Hashem of a few individuals provides excuses for the doubter, and encourages the desecration of Torah learning, Torah education and Torah influence. To defraud and exploit our fellowmen, Jew or gentile, to conspire, to betray the government, to associate with underworld elements, all those are hideous crimes by themselves. Yet to the outrage committed, there is added another dimension, namely the profanation of all that is supposed to be held sacred by us as well as – in their heart of hearts – by the perpetrators themselves. What a sorry picture this is!”
“Suppose I have cheated my neighbor or my government and then I stand in the midst of a congregation of honest and decent men and women to recite the Kaddish which is the prayer for Kiddush Hashem in the world. What audacity! What a shame! Can there be a worse contradiction than the strict Shabbos observer who may also be a stickler for kashrus and who at the same time violates the spirit of Shabbos and Kashrus during the week with non-kosher money manipulations?!”
We must look ourselves full-face in the mirror, declares Rav Schwab. Let us bind ourselves with the words of Shma – “You shall love Hashem,” meaning, “Let the name of Hashem become beloved through you – lead the kind of exemplary life which would contribute to the universal glory and adoration of Hashem and which would, in turn, enhance the glory and luster of the Torah, adding respect for the dignity of the Jewish people as a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation.”
“No white-washing, no condoning, no apologizing on behalf of the desecrators. Let us make it clear that anyone who besmirches the sacred Name ceases to be our friend. He has unwittingly defected from our ranks and has joined our antagonists, to make us all suffer in his wake. And…. the more prominent a man has become in orthodox Jewish circles, the more obligated he must feel to observe the most painstaking scrupulousness in his dealings with the outside world…”
“Our observance of the Toah and Mitzvos is regulated by the Choshen Hamishpat no less than by the other codes of the Shulchan Aruch. Whoever betrays his loyalty to one portion of the Torah uproots all others. For, at the roots of Chillul Hashem are gross materialism, blatant selfishness, insatiable love of wealth and brazen disregard for common decency. Even if, strangely enough, as it sometimes happens, those ugly traits go together with excessive charity and benevolence. We call this type of twisted ethics “mitzvah haba b’aveira” i.e. virtue acquired by sin, a farce. It means playing jokes with the Torah. It is blasphemy and therefore unforgivable.”
In these unfortunate days, miserable hallmark to the ongoing suffering of the wandering spirit of the Jew, leading up to what has, for centuries been known as the climax of national tragedy and desecration of Hashem’s honor and glory, it is time to announce, as one, the hallowed words of Kaddish: “May His Great Name be magnified and sanctified”, as well as the call of Kedusho, “Let us sanctify Your Name in the world!”
“Let us proclaim, loud and clear, that we shall have no part of such sickly ‘Yiddishkeit’. Our aim is to strive for Kiddush Hashem. And in order to reach this goal we shall band together and march together, we and our children, with clean hands and pure hearts towards the dawn of geula, speedily in our days…”
