11 Jul CHILLUL HASHEM ALERT!

This time of year many
Country Vues readers have
their annual migration
to their favorite vacation
spots. In the tristate
area, over a half million
people make the annual
pilgrimage to the Catskills
summer homes and bungalow colonies
strewn all over Ulster and Sullivan counties.
Towns such as Monticello, Woodbourne,
Fallsburg, Ellenville, Kiamesha, Swan Lake,
Hurleyville and many others are packed with
myriads of orthodox Jews. All these city-folk
come like an avalanche upon these quiet rural
towns suddenly descending at the end of June
like a raging bull in a china closet.
This is a good time for us to brush up on
the severity of chillul Hashem, the crime of
desecrating Hashem’s Name in front of the
other nations. (It applies in front of other
Jews as well.) The Gemora teaches us that
this transgression is so heinous that when it is
perpetrated, even repentance, suffering, and
the holy day of Yom Kippur combined do not
fully atone. Only death completely atones for
this terrible crime.
In wanting to convey how horrible chillul
Hashem is, the Alenu L’shabei’ach relates the

following anecdote. There was once a couple
in Eretz Yisroel who suffered from terrible
marital discord. The husband, wanting to
wreak hurt to his wife, put in motion to send
their Jewish son to a monastery in Italy.
Horrified, friends of the family wanted to go
to the government to stop this at all costs.
There was however a concern that the major
news outlets would get a hold of the story and
it would result in a chillul Hashem. However,
those that were involved in the case felt that
the risk was justified in order to save the child
from shmad, from being sent to a catholic
mission. They consulted Rav Shlomo Zalman
Auerbach, zt”l, zy”a, the Posek Hador, and to
their surprise he told them that if there was a
chance of chillul Hashem, they cannot risk
it, even to prevent the loss of a Yiddisher
neshama. This is a striking example of how
serious the crime of desecrating the Name of
Hashem is.
I know a family that was attacked in the
secular papers regarding a nasty custody
battle. When the papers asked them if they
wanted to comment to defend themselves,
Rav Dovid Feinstein, shlit”a, ruled that they
could not participate in the discussion in the
secular press even to defend themselves for
it would be advancing more chillul Hashem.
That’s asking a lot from a person – not to

defend themselves against public
humiliation – but that’s how high the
stakes are when it comes to chillul
Hashem. So let’s start talking about
how this subject applies to the many
city-folk who ‘invade’ the peaceful
mountains during the summer.
The first thing that needs to be
eliminated is horn honking from our

cars. The bedtime for many rural-
folk is ‘early to bed and early to

rise,’ while many of us city-people
start first waking up when they are
already in bed. We have to be aware
of this whether it comes to blowing the horn,
slamming the car doors, or just carrying on in
a boisterous summer-way when many of the
locals are already sleeping.
Then there’s our behavior in the
supermarkets. If you’ve ever been to the
Catskills in the winter, you’ll see how nicely
the shelves are setup and how orderly the
store looks. So, while shopping if you decide
not to take an item, put it back in its place
– especially if it needs refrigeration. Try to
bring your cart back to the store or to the
place where they are gathered, and not left
helter-skelter in the parking lot. And here’s
something to really think about. Don’t go
around tasting the grapes, having your
kids taste them, and popping the olives
in your mouth, and even munching on
the grapes while they’re already in your
wagon. I sincerely believe that if there’s
no sign up saying “sampling allowed,”
it is theft to taste fruit in order to decide
if you want to buy the item. And, even
if some stores will let you get away
with this and not escort you out, this
is certainly not the behavior of the Am
Segula, the nation that is supposed to be
the model of behavior. If I see a gentile
waiting in line who has only two items,
I always try to let them go ahead of me
so they don’t mutter under their breath,
the ‘Jewish invasion.’ Right or wrong,
we need to be sensitive when we are
trampling on their peace and quiet. And
yes, it is true that they are looking for
things to blame us for. That just means
that we must be doubly careful not to
give anyone ammunition.
When driving in the night, we must
always shut off our bright headlights to
oncoming traffic and we shouldn’t drive
like it’s a video game. Let’s remember
that the locals are very proud of their
pristine unpolluted environment so don’t
open the car window and toss out the
leftover drink, a bag with a dirty diaper
or the wrapper from a nosh, carelessly
to the side of the road. There are many
more examples but the main thing is to
heighten your sense of awareness and to
be truly inhibited to causing any type of

chillul Hashem.
Finally, I’m sorry there’s a need to mention
this but it should be obvious to ensure before
having your children with other children that
they are properly vaccinated. In Yiddishkeit,
we follow the majority, especially in the face
of sakana, danger, and chillul Hashem. The
overwhelming majority, 90 percent plus of
master physicians and Godolei Yisroel hold
that it is mandatory to vaccinate. Any other
discussion is a waste of time. The massive
chillul Hashem that has resulted already on
a global stage from measles epidemics needs
to be repaired. Furthermore, as a child that
had rubella, measles and mumps, I can tell
you that only a criminally negligent parent
will abstain from vaccinating a child.
One more point. A smile goes a long way
in improving relationhips. When you pass a
gentile in the parking lot or in Home Depot
tilt your head in greeting or give a smile. If
thousands of us take this not so little step, we
will make a huge difference in their attitude
towards us
May Hashem bless us with the smarts to
avoid chillul Hashem and in that merit may
we be blessed with long life, good health, and
everything wonderful.
CHILLUL HASHEM ALERT!