[Avodah] Chillul HaShem when NJ are the observers

[Micha Berger]

(Another thread revival due to the topic coming up in Y-mi yomi.)

This could or could not be a discussion of chillul Hashem, but clearly
there is some very severe issur involved with doing things that cause
nakhriim (and non-O Jews) to think less of what it means to follow the
Torah.

We already discussed the obvious.

Avos 2:1, where Rebbe defines the derekh yeshrah sheyavos lo ha'adam
as one that is tif'eres le'oseha vetif'ere lo min ha'adam.

Avos 3:10, R' Chanina ben Dosa identifies the set of things that ru'ach
haMaqom nochah heimenu with those that ruach haberios nochah heimenu.

Well, now I encountered the seifa of the mishnah Sheqalim 3:2. The kohein
making a withdrawal from the terumas halishkah cannot wear anything that
the tongue waggers might use to say he hid wealth.
    She'adam tzairkh latzeis yedei haberios
    kederekh shehu tzarikh latzeis yedei haMaqom.
    Shene'emar (Bamidbar 32):
	vehiyisem neqiyum meiHashem umiYisrael
    veOmeir (Mishlei 3):
	umatza chein veseikhel tov be'eini E-lokim ve'adam.

Interestingly, this mishnah, like RCBD in (Abos 3:10) speaks of "berios"
and "haMaqom". I'm not sure why specifically haMaqom, but "berios"
consistently includes both Yehudim and nakhriim.

The gemara (9a in the bavli edition) adds a pasuq from Yehoshua 23
(after the 2-1/2 shevatim who move mei'ever haYardein actually fulfill
the "veyisim neqiyim" by joining the war effort) to make this concept it
another one of those statements said in each of Torah, neviim and kesuvim.

Gamliel Zuga asked Rabbi Yosi bar Rabbi Bun [ie Avin, in Bavli-speak]
which was the cleares of the three proofs, and RYBRB asserts "vehiyisem
neqiyim" is.

The Qorban haEidah points out that in all three quotes, satisfying G-d
comes first. The Penei Moshe (on the vilna y-mi ed 14a) talks about
the pasuq'a equating G-d's certainty of our innocence when we are with
man's certainty. This pasuq is the most mechuvar because it demands the
greatest neqiyus in our actions.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             People were created to be loved.
micha at aishdas.org        Things were created to be used.
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