Chillul hashem

Desecrating the name of God
In Judaism, a chillul hashem is an act that violates the prohibition in the Torah of desecrating (chillul) the name (hashem) of God. A chillul hashem occurs when a Jew acts immorally in the presence of others, either Jews or Gentiles. Since Judaism believes that Jews are representatives of God and his moral code, when a Jew acts in a shameful manner, they have represented God poorly, thus desecrating his name. Chillul Hashem is the opposite of a Kiddush Hashem ("sanctification of God's name"), the act of bringing honor, respect, and glory to God's name. The concept of chillul hashem is prevalent in the Tanakh and is often referenced by modern Jews as a reason to uphold the highest moral standard.

There are four references to chillul hashem in the Torah: , , , The general prohibition of desecrating God's name is stated most explicitly in Leviticus: "And you shall not desecrate My Holy name; and I shall be sanctified in the midst of the Children of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies you"
In addition, chillul hashem is mentioned extensively in Prophets and Writings, especially in the Book of Ezekiel. The fact that it appears so frequently throughout the Hebrew Bible demonstrates its centrality and severity. A notable example is in which the prophet laments the Babylonian exile and claims that the reality of exile (specifically the Jewish people living outside their ancestral homeland) is itself a desecration of God's name.

By acting as an upstanding and righteous people, and by following the commandments of the Torah, Jews seek to sanctify God's name and fulfill the mandate of being an Or La'goyim, a light unto the nations. As such, the concepts of kiddush hashem and avoiding chillul hashem are often invoked by Orthodox Jews as a reminder to act in an upstanding manner. The goal of sanctifying God's name is commonly mentioned with reference to the State of Israel. Because Ezekiel calls the Jewish exile a desecration of God's name, Religious Zionists believe that one of the main purposes of the State of Israel is to reverse that state of exile and thereby to bring about a sanctification of God's name. To accomplish that, they believe that Israel, particularly the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), ought to lead the world by example by acting in the most humanitarian way possible.