In Parshat Emor, God tells the Jewish people:

"You shall not desecrate My Holy Name, rather I should be sanctified among the Children of Israel." (Leviticus 22:32)

The primary privilege and responsibility of every Jew is to create positive PR for God and Torah. Certain mitzvot clearly achieve this, like Brit Milah - circumcision. Why would we perform non-medical surgery on a helpless baby - and on such a sensitive part of the body? The only possible motivation is that God said so! By doing so, I increase the respect for God in the world, which is the essence of sanctifying God's Name.

Every aspect of our behavior can foster this. I once asked a woman what led her to make a commitment to Torah observance. She said that when her 10-year-old niece became observant, the girl transformed from being a spoiled brat, into a model of kindness and compassion. The woman said, "If this is the effect that Torah has on a person, then I want it, too!"

On the converse, a Jew acting in a despicable manner is a desecration of God's Name - which is why we are so bothered when a Jew cheats in business. Besides violating the Torah prohibition of stealing, the additional tragedy is that people will say, "If this is the effect that Torah has, then I don't want any part of it." It distances people from connecting to God.

Even further, such behavior is demoralizing because there is a feeling that if the Jewish people - the "Light unto the Nations" - are corrupt, then what hope is there for the rest of us?

Every great opportunity presents with it a great responsibility. God's good Name is on the line. And it's up to us.

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Rabbi Shraga Simmons

Rabbi Shraga Simmons spent his childhood trekking through snow in Buffalo, New York. He has worked in the fields of journalism and public relations, and is now the Co-editor of Aish.com in Jerusalem.

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