[Avodah] Name and Reputation

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Wed, Nov 11, 2015 at 08:12:14PM -0500, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote:
: I don't have an answer, but I can suggest a possible direction for
: research: When this chillul is discussed by the poskim, it it spelled
: heh-apostrophe, or heh-shin-mem? The former is near universal, I think,
: though the latter would fit RMB's explanation better.

Historically, the phrase "chilul hasheim" is older (Tosefta, Y-mi and shas)
than the notion of calling the Aibishter "Hashem".

: Any linguists around? I think RMB is on the button logically, but I suspect
: this an example of where a phrase takes on a life of its own...

Idiomatic expression.

: (By the way, perhaps this is a good place to mention two places in davening
: where we actually say "Hasheim", spelled heh-shin-mem. In one place it
: actually means "the Name", and in the other it means "G-d", and I don't
: think either could be twisted into "the Reputation".....

"Sheim" means reputation in "to sheim mishemen tov", no?

Or in Avos, "qanah seim tov"(2:7), "keser sheim tov" (4:13).

And it fits here; when a TC behaves in a way that would make people think
less of Torah (eg dress like a slob) he diminishes Hashem's reputation,
not the proper noun we call Him by.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             "As long as the candle is still burning,
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