חילול השם

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Hebrew

Noun

חילול השם / חִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם (ḥillúl hashémm

  1. (Judaism) blasphemy, desecration of the Name
    • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Avot 5:9:
      חַיָּה רָעָה בָאָה לָעוֹלָם עַל שְׁבוּעַת שָׁוְא, וְעַל חִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם.
      ḥayyá ra'á va'á l-'ólam 'al shvuát shav v-'al ḥillúl hashém
      wild beasts come to the world for swearing in vain and for desecration of the Name.
    • a. 425 C.E., Jerusalem Talmud, Ta'anit 3:10:
      שֶׁכָּל־הַמֵּבִיא אֶת הָרַבִּים לִידֵי חִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם צָרִיךְ נִידּוּי.
      She-kol ha-meví et ha-rabím li-ydéi ḥillúl hashém tsaríkh nidúy.
      For all who bring the masses to blasphemy require excommunication.
    • a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud:
      מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ חִילּוּל הַשֵּׁם בְּיָדוֹ — אֵין לוֹ כֹּחַ בִּתְשׁוּבָה לִתְלוֹת וְלֹא בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים לְכַפֵּר וְלֹא בְּיִסּוּרִין לְמָרֵק
      Mi she-yésh ḥillúl hashém b-yado — ein lo kóaḥ bi-tshuvá litlót v-lo b-yom ha-kippurím l'khappér v-lo b-yissurín l'maraq.
      One who has desecration of God's name, his repentance has no power to suspend punishment, nor does the Day of Atonement atone, nor does suffering absolve.
  2. (Judaism, colloquial) shameful act, embarrassing behavior, disgrace
    • 2021 August 31, Ronen Tal, quoting Ariel Horowitz, “הסופר אריאל הורוביץ: "כשאני רואה נערים בציציות צועקים נגד הערבים – זה חילול השם" [The author Ariel Horowitz: "When I see visibly observant kids shouting at Arabs, it is a disgrace."]”, in הארץ [Haaretz]‎, Tel Aviv, Israel: Amos Schocken; M. DuMont Schauberg:
      כשאני רואה נערים בציציות צועקים נגד הערבים – זה חילול השם.
      K-she-aní roéh n'arím b-tsitsiyót tso'aqím néged ha-'aravím — zeh ḥillúl hashém.
      When I see visibly observant kids shouting at Arabs, it is a disgrace.
      (literally, “When I see youths in ritual-fringes shouting against the Arabs, it is a desecration of the Name.”)