One of the greatest aveiros that one can commit is the terrible sin of chilul Hashem. In fact, doing teshuvah for this aveira is terribly difficult. Most of us think that we are innocent of this sin; we would never even think of creating a chilul Hashem. However, we sometimes fail to realize that we are constantly being scrutinized just because we are the chosen nation. How we interact with others, how we speak to a salesman or gas attendant, and certainly how we drive is carefully analyzed by the world. Are we indeed as innocent as we would like to believe?
There was a conflict with between the shepherds of Avraham and Lot. Says the pasuk 13,8-9 – “Avram said to Lot, “Please let there not be strife between me and you and between my shepherds and yours, for we are brothers”. The Meforshim ask, why did Avraham Avinu say that they shouldn’t fight only because they are “brothers?” Is that the only reason why they shouldn’t fight? And if they weren’t related, would it then be okay to fight? The question gets stronger according to the Midrash that Rashi brings to explain the word “brothers”. He says “brothers” mean that they looked like each other. Does this mean that they shouldn’t fight just because they resemble each other? And if they didn’t resemble each other, then they could fight?
The Yechi Reuven explains that Avraham went around teaching mankind about believing in Hashem and serving Him. However, there was a problem. Lot resembled Avraham too much, to the extent that it was causing a chilul Hashem. Says Avraham to Lot, “I can’t continue to be with you even for one more day. We have to separate because our partnership is causing me problems in my avodas Hashem. Because we look like each other, people are saying that on one hand, Avraham is against avoda zara, and on the other hand, they see “Avraham” ignoring the situation. They don’t realize that it’s you and not me because we look like each other. That’s why it’s causing a big chilul Hashem. Also, people think that my shepherds are grazing their cattle in other people’s fields when in actuality it’s your animals. That is peshat “separate from me only because we are brothers, because we look like each other”. People were saying, “Is this how an eved Hashem behaves, like a hypocrite? He doesn’t practice what he preaches!” And that’s why they had to separate, to stop the chilul Hashem.
A Tower Airline flight once arrived in Tel Aviv. The stewardess announced on the loudspeaker, “You may not get out of your seat until the “fasten seatbelt” sign is off.” As she makes the announcement. there are many standing up and getting their luggage from the overhead compartment. Isn’t that a chilul Hashem? The plane gets to the gate and the pilot announces, “Welcome to Tel Aviv! For all those who are already standing, Happy Chanukah. And for all those that are sitting, Seasons Greetings!” It sounds funny, but there is truth to it. That’s a chilul Hashem. And right away, the frum yidden mutter, “Anti-semite!” Why is that anti-semitic?
He gave you mussar because you did something wrong! If a gentile rebukes you because you did something wrong, that’s not anti-semitic. You made a chilul Hashem and are accountable. And yes, there are many stories of kiddush Hashem as well.
There once a rabbi who went to Starbucks to purchase a coffee by the drive-thru. The way it works is that you order by one window and then you move down to the next window to pay. He ordered his coffee and went to the next window to pay. The worker says, “Rabbi, today is your lucky day. The person in front of you paid for you so your coffee is free today.” The rabbi looks at the person in front of him and has no idea who he is. The worker explained, “Today we opened up at 5:00 AM, and the first person on line said that he wants to do a good deed so he paid for his order and the order behind him. Now it’s 8 AM and the chain continued. So, Rabbi, what do you want to do?” Of course, the yid chose well and continued the chain, paying for the person behind him. It ended up costing him $20 because that person ordered four coffees. Later that day at 5 PM this rabbi decided to buy another coffee and this time it wasn’t for free. He asked the Starbucks worker what happened to the chain, and he answered that a stingy non-Jew broke it. The yid said to himself, “Imagine if I would’ve broken the chain, they would’ve said, “That stingy Jew!” For $20, he saved himself from a terrible chilul Hashem. A bargain!
A yid wrote a sefer on Maseches Midos and he approached a bachur if he would like to purchase the sefer. The bachur said that he’s actually learning that masechta and would love to purchase it but didn’t have any money. The person told him, “Don’t worry, you’ll pay me when you get money”. He wrote down his info on a paper and gave it to the bachur. A short while later, the bachur was ready to pay for the sefer but he couldn’t find the paper with the information. He was very distressed, but what could he do? He davened to Hashem to help him find the yid. Six months later he was on a bus and there were two elderly men behind him who were arguing about religion, one a Jew and one an Arab. The bachur suddenly realized that this was the man he owed money to! Delighted, he excused himself and reminded the yid that he had sold him a sefer six months earlier, but lost his contact information. Now that he finally got ahold of him, he promptly reached into his pocket and paid the man. The Arab was dumbfounded, shocked by what he saw. He said, “By us, there is no such thing as repaying a loan without being asked. He admitted that the Torah of the Jews is true.
Look what a couple of dollars can do - it can create a kiddush Hashem. We only have to be aware, make sure our actions reflect the goy kadosh that we are, and daven that we merit to always create a kiddush Hashem.
