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The elephant in the room is that the there is absolutely no recognition amongst the m'chalalei hashem that their actions constitute chilul hashem. I have had this discussion a number of times with a number of different people who have absolutely denied that
actions which make others think badly of frum Jews is any way a problem of chilul hashem unless, and this is an important rider, their actions are inherently aveiros in Hashem's eyes. </div>
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According to this, if you are doing right in Hashem's eye ie keeping mitzvos bein adam l'makom, there can never be an issue of chillul hashem. </div>
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This will justify violence and thuggery of all kinds when it's purportedly l'sheim shamayim. It will justify any kind of inconvenience to all around you for the sake of public tefila b'tzibbur. It will justify all and any public health hazard for the purpose
of a mitzva. </div>
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And I don't mean people just don't realise what the halacha is about what chillul hashem. I mean that even when you present them with relevant sources and reasoning they deny that it is so. </div>
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By way of illustration, in an article in the Tablet this week a Jewish journalist present at the attack in Borough Park asked a rioter 'what will the goyim think?' The rioter replied that he could not care less what the goyim think. </div>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is beyond my pay grade why this attitude has become so widespread amongst large sections of those who learn Torah, but it certainly has. I encourage people to
have this discussion if you wish to verify it. It seems to me that the more insular the community, the more certain the majority of its members are of this travesty of halacha. Don't take my word for it, ask people. </span></div>
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So while I'm glad there are voices like R Twersky's, we need to realise that his words will have no effect whatsoever on the vast majority of the people concerned. I fear the primary issue of chilul hashem, ie causing people to think badly of frum Jews, is
a meis mitzva. Huge numbers of people simply do not, can not, will not understand that this is a problem. </div>
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Personally I can not think of any single issue more pressing to address in the Jewish world than this. The potential for future damage to Torah communities, to genuine ruchniyos, to our relationship with the world as a whole, is mindboggling. </div>
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