[Avodah] More on what constitutes chilul hashem (lo plug)

[T613K at aol.com]

From: Arie Folger _arie.folger at gmail.com_ (mailto:arie.folger at gmail.com) 

There is a  simple resolution to your problem about whether or not the
violation of a  local secular law engenders a 'hillul haShem. I think
that we can pretty much  all agree that not putting a coin in the meter
while parking for 10 minutes  is generally not a chillul haShem, nor
double parking for thirty seconds  while offloading passengers in a
quiet street. It should also not be  difficult to accept that to
offload passengers on a busy street where such  stopping is disallowed,
and for which legions of people idling behind your  car suffer, is a
'hillul haShem.



....So, an action which is  either inherently inequitable or which, on
account of having become law  reflects a widely held standard of
appropriate behavior in a society, does,  when violated, engender a
'hillul haShem. However, minor infractions, which  the legislator
intends to overlook, which is generally not enforced, or  otherwise not
even considered a real nuisance, do not engender any 'hillul  haShem.
There are many borderline cases, and I don't think that incurring  a
parking violation for which you may sometimes be fined, since  traffic
wardens may fine people indiscriminately - lo plug ;-) -I don't  think
such infractions would engender a 'hillull haShem insofar as they  do
not contribute to a deterioration of societal standards.

....If the  idea of a common sense definition of a matter of halakhic
import offends your  sensibilities, I apologize.

Kol tuv,
-- 
Arie  Folger,

 
>>>>
Common sense not only does not offend my sensibilities, it quite appeals to 
 my....common sense.
 
I just want to comment on the "lo plug" and add that in addition to whether 
 it is a chillul Hashem to commit this or that parking infraction, one 
should  also take safety into consideration and therefore lo plug = do not park 
at a  plug.  IOW not at a fire hydrant -- even if other people don't  mind.
 
(It's possible that this was exactly what RAF had in mind with his "lo  
plug" and I apologize if I am stepping on  his punch line!  I try not  to step 
on other people at all, which reminds me:  pedestrians have  obligations of 
courtesy too!  Cue recent "midos" thread on  Areivim....)
 
 

--Toby  Katz
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