[Avodah] What Constitutes Chillul Hashem?

[Yitzchok Levine]

Yesterday I sent out an article about the illegal dumping of Sheimos 
in Lakewood, NJ. (See 
http://www.app.com/article/201004121815/OPINION01/4120322)  I wrote, 
"Is this not a huge Chillul HaShem?"

Someone responded saying that just because someone does something 
that is illegal, does not make it a Chillul Hashem. This has raised 
the issue in my mind about what constitutes Chillul HaShem.

 From Rav Shimon Schwab's article Chillul Hashem at 
http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/chillul_hashem_r_schwab.pdf 
there is no question in my mind that if a Jew does certain things 
that are illegal, and it becomes public knowledge, then this is 
considered Chillul Hashem. Furthermore, RSRH writes in his commentary 
on Vayikra 19

12 And you shall not swear falsely by My Name, for you would profane 
the Name of your God; I am God.

Scripture says to Israel as it dwells among
the nations: v'chilalta es sham Elokecha. You are God's messenger among the
peoples, and God's Name is associated with you. As His people, you
are obligated to be a model for the nations and present before them a
society that is based on justice, truth, and faithfulness. If you stain
yourself with practices that are related to theft and falsehood, then you
desecrate God's Name which is associated with you; you undermine the
recognition of God, which you should herald and nurture through deeds.

But how far does this go? If a someone whom others recognize as an 
observant Jew by his or her dress jaywalks, is this Chillul 
Hashem?  What if he or she is seen in public looking unkempt and 
dirty? What if he or she double parks or is rude? And on and on.

What indeed constitutes Chillul Hashem? Given that Rav Schwab wrote

"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 Chillul Hashem not
only weakens the respect for Torah on one hand, but
strengthens on the other hand the defiance of the non-observer
and adds fuel to the scoffers, fanning the fires of
religious insurrection all around. Chillul Hashem is
responsible, directly or indirectly, for the increase of frivolity,
heresy and licentiousness in the world. Therefore, we should
not be surprised reading the harsh words of condemnation
we find in the Talmud: "He who has committed Chillul
Hashem, even Teshuvoh, Yom Kippur and suffering cannot
fully atone for his sin until the day of his death (Yoma 86)."

it seems to me that it is very important to know what the parameters 
of Chillul Hashem are.  Can anyone supply them?


Yitzchok Levine 
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