Avot226

5:
When one mentions the concept of sanctifying God's Name (or desecrating it) for most people this immediately conjures up visions of martyrdom – people giving up their lives rather than desecrate God's Name. But in most cases Kiddush ha-Shem is much more mundane. When one does something that causes other people to have a higher regard for Judaism or the Jewish people that is – even inadvertently – an act of Kiddush ha-Shem, sanctifying the Divine Name. Clearly, the opposite is much more of an occurrence: when someone does something that brings Judaism or the Jewish people into disrepute – even inadvertently – they have desecrated the Divine Name – something for which, as we have seen, only death can atone.

6:
However, Rambam points out that there is one kind of Ĥillul ha-Shem (desecration of God's Name) which is reserved for rabbis and other pious people. In Mishneh Torah [Yesodé ha-Torah 5:11] he states:

Rambam also notes the opposite, of course:

7:
Rabbi Yoĥanan ben-Baroka says (in our present mishnah) that anyone who desecrates the Name of Heaven in secret will receive due punishment in public. A most apposite example of this can be seen with regards to what is told of King David [2 Samuel 11-12].

The king happened to espy a woman (Bathsheba) washing on the roof of her house. Filled with lust for her he summoned her to his bed even though he had been told that she was a married woman. When later Bathsheba told him that she was pregnant David tried to create a situation in which people would think that the father of the child was Bathsheba's husband, Uriah. So Uriah, an high-ranking officer in the army, was given leave, but he refused to go home to his wife. Finally, in desperation, David sent the man back to his unit carrying secret instructions to the commander in the field that he was to see that Uriah was stationed in such a manner that he would be certain to be killed by the enemy. David's instructions were carried out.

David, now married Bathsheba himself. A few days later he was confronted by the prophet Nathan, who concocted a story which he knew would make David furious [2 Samuel 12:1-9]:

Nathan then directly accuses David:

David is immediately contrite:

David's actions were not only a crime against Uriah, the misuse of his privileges as a king and a moral misdemeanour: they were a prime example of the Desecration of the Divine Name. That is why he is told:

For "anyone who desecrates the Name of Heaven in secret will receive due punishment in public."

Mishnah 4 of our present chapter (Avot 223) presented the teaching of Rabbi Levitas that a person should always be humble because "the expectation of humankind is maggots."

Jacob Chinitz writes:

The vision of the "worms" and the argument for man's humility from his mortality, does not appeal to me. With God we say [Megillah 31a] "wherever you find God's greatness mentioned there you also find mentioned his humility." Why can't we say the opposite for Man: Wherever we find his miserable end and his humility there we find his greatness. As we say in the Neila: "You recognize him [man] to stand before you". We are in His Image. Look at the wonder of man's mind, his imagination, his achievements. Furthermore, if being eaten by the worms is supposed to make us humble, what if we bury ourselves in such a way that the worms cannot reach us? Cryopsy, Embalment, Cremation. And what if we were immortal, would there be no room for modesty, in comparing our finiteness with His Infinitude? I admit that the thought of the worms hurts, in terms of the death of my wife, and my own death. But the appeal to human humility should be based on more elevated grounds. Humility is decent, accurate, honest. Arrogance is cruel, stupid, false.

The Virtual Bet Midrash is now going for its traditional break for Sukkot, so the next shiur in this series will be, God willing, on Monday, 16th October.

Let me take this opportunity to wish everybody Chag Same'ach – a happy and joyous festival of Sukkot.