<div>R Zev Sero replied to me as follows:</div>
<div>"> The theoretical average frum Jew, otoh, thinks that the law itself has<br>> no application to him, that he is permitted to disregard it with<br>> impunity and any attempt by the State to impose a penalty is per se unjust.<br>
> IMHO, the attitudinal difference is what causes the chilul Hashem.</div>
<div>Assuming this attitudinal difference really exists, how does the non-Jew<br>know about it?"</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Just take a look at the public pronouncements concerning the shaimos dumping without a permit, as quoted in the local press (whether accurate or not) and you can see just how the non-Jews know. And I will hazard going one step further --- just like Caesar's wife, shouldn't a frum Jew be especially extra careful not to violate a law just so there is not even a possibility for the non-Jew to erroneously think that the frum Jew flaunts the law, so that there is no possibility of a Chilul Hashem?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>David I. Cohen</div>