[Avodah] Hypocrisy in halakhah

[Zev Sero]

Michael Makovi wrote:

> 3) Hilul hashem also obviates mistreating them. Even in secret, a
> hilul hashem is a sin. This answers the question of Rabbis Aharon
> Lichtenstein and Yehuda Amital about saving a nicht-Jude on a desert
> island, where mishum eiva is no concern. Even if mishum eiva is not
> present, a hilul hashem b'seter is still present, and thus it is
> forbidden to not save him.

This makes no sense.  It (deliberately, I think) confuses two very
distinct meanings of "chilul Hashem".  The core meaning of "chilul Hashem"
is erasing a Name or serving AZ or similar things; obviously that applies
in secret just as much as in public.  It's also applied to doing averot
befarhesia; by definition that does *not* apply in secret.  But here we're
talking about a borrowed use of "chilul Hashem" to simply mean anything,
even not an avera, that will make outsiders think less of yidden, and
therefore of Hashem.  By definition, an act can only be this sort of chilul
Hashem if people will find out; if nobody finds out then it will not have
this effect on their perceptions, and therefore the Name will not be
disgraced.

I say above that I think the confusion is deliberate, because I think
the Melamed Leho'il intended us to notice this, and take the appropriate
dosage of salt.  I believe that in recent times such a hint has been
referred to as a "dog whistle".

-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas