Parashas Emor - Kiddush/Chillul Hashem is easy to do

A couple weeks ago, I was waiting on line outside the Tachana Hamerkazit (Central Bus Station) in Yerushalayim. The line was huge! People were literally standing down the block to get in. The reason for this time-consuming event is because the Security personnel were checking people thoroughly. The guy next to me was shouting at Security asking, “Why are you checking that guy?! Can't you see he's a religious bachur? You're wasting our time and there are loads of people waiting to get in!” Surprisingly enough, that bachur replied back, “Listen, they are doing their job. So what, it will take a couple more minutes – at least we are safe.”

In this week's parasha, Hashem commanded: “You shall not desecrate My Holy Name; And I shall be sanctified in the midst of Bnei Yisroel.” [22:32]

There are different levels of desecrating Hashem's name and different levels of sanctifying it. In the above story, both commandments mentioned in the posuk took place. The guy who yelled at Security made a chillul Hashem while the bachur sanctified it.

Sanctifying Hashem's name is not hard to do. We don't have to go out of our way to do it. For example: Before getting off a bus, it's a kiddush Hashem to say, 'Thank you and have a wonderful day'. It doesn't take much effort. If I am standing at the back of the bus, I make an effort to get off the front just so that I can thank the bus driver. (Of course, there are times where I can't; for example if the bus is packed.) Sometimes we tell ourselves that it won't really make a difference; however, it does!

Unfortunately, the same goes for making a Chillul Hashem. It's very easy to desecrate Hashem's Name, which is why we must be extra careful not to do anything which might lead to that. For example: Sometimes we don't notice that speaking on the phone after a certain time (at night) can disturb other people's sleep.

I give us a bracha to continuously sanctify Hashem's Name and to always make Him proud of us.

Have a wonderful shabbos,
Nisso