Nowadays, thanks to technology, everything that we do or say, no matter how trivial, is liable to be public knowledge.
The potential for chillul Hashem is magnified many times over, but we also have an opportunity for kiddush Hashem like never before.
The host of a television show once decided to conduct a social experiment. An actor dressed up as a cartoon character, then “tripped” and landed on his back on a busy sidewalk, where he asked passersby to help him up.
A hidden camera recorded the man laying on the sidewalk, begging passersby for help. Hundreds of people passed by, looking but not offering a hand. A runner leapt over him, a dog sniffed him curiously, and numerous pedestrians barely gave him a glance.
Finally, a group of yeshivah bachurim helped him up. All of this was caught on camera and watched by millions of Americans. That incident led to many positive impressions.
Reproduced from A Life Worth Living by Rabbi Shraga Freedman with permission of the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications.
