Is Kiddush Hashem A Mitzvah?

One of my fans, aka he replied to an email advertising the website, asked a very good question: Is Kiddush Hashem actually a mitzvah?

He had discussed a similar topic of whether being a light unto the nations was a mitzvah. According to his discussions with such distinguished Rabbinim as Rabbi Orlewek he said that all agree it is neither a "mitzvah or directive of any kind but rather a descriptive term for the Jewish People, most specifically in the times of Moshiach." His question was whether I had researched and found out if being a Kiddush Hashem is indeed a mitzvah.

My answer to whether I have researched it is no, not to a significant enough degree; however, I have been looking for sources that discuss Kiddushei Hashem as well as Chillul Hashem (the opposite of Kiddush Hashem) . One of my very amazing Rabbis gave me a source sheet of many of the instances in which Kiddush Hashem was discussed as well as some regarding Chillul Hashem. What I found quite interesting was that Chillul Hashem is discussed quite a bit more. I will try to give the source and more specific information in a later post but the punishments and consequences for being a Chillul Hashem were quite horrible.

One thing to note is that one of the most associated circumstances with sanctifying Hashem is when one gives up their life (in a kosher manner) for the sake of Heaven. However, please do not look for opportunities to do this.

My personal answer to the question of whether being a Kiddush Hashem is a mitzvah is that it may not be on its own but it is definitely a part of all other mitzvot. We can sanctify Hashem through everything we do. I think of Kiddushei Hashem as the ways that I beautify the mitzvot I am obligated to do. For example: Smiling and being extra nice when giving tzedaka. It is said that we don't even get the mitzvah if we don't smile.

Another way I have heard Kiddush Hashem defined is that it is when a Jew motivates another Jew to do mitzvot. This is a beautiful idea and since learning it as a possibility I have tried to incorporate it in my own efforts.

It is very important that we all continue to act as Kiddushei Hashem and also as a light unto the nations in a way that is powerful yet respectful! Have a good month. I hope to blog more often and I hope to see more comments as well! I may have to get more controversial...

A Chassidic Tale

I have been receiving some stories and a lot of support for the website over the past few weeks. I really hope that you will all share your stories more and more as time goes on as they will make this a much more effective site for all of us.

The following is a great story from a Chassidic friend:

As a Biala Chassid he attended the recent yarzheit of the previous Biala Rebbe Zecher Tzaddik L'bracha. It was a cold and windy and crowded hill in the dark where they said Tehillim around the kever. Afterwards he boarded one of the buses back to the Biala shul. When he arrived he realized that his gartel (traditional belt worn during davening as well as in the presence of a Rebbe) must have slipped off at the kever . It would have been too embarrassing to attend the tisch without it and he did not know what to do.

He mentioned it to one of the Yerushalmi Chasidim who smiled and said that he couldn't attend the tisch like this and immediately removed his own gartle, found a sharp piece of metal at the bottom of the staircase they were in and cut his own gartel in two. Somehow the two half pieces fit them both just fine and they had a good laugh.

The Biala Chassid shared his feelings with me at this point mentioning,"suddenly that gartel became not just a tool for fulfilling halachah but also for fullfilling v'ahavta l'reachah kamocha(love your neighbor as yourself)." He soon thereafter bought them both new gartels although he continues to carry his half in his jacket pocket as a constant reminder to love his fellow Jew.

I really enjoyed this story not only for its twist but because he chose to take the experience and use it as a reminder.

One of the most important realizations we all need to come to is that being a Kiddush Hashem is not just about major acts that take a lot of work to build up to. It only takes consistent small acts to become a very bright light unto those around you. Here are some examples that I have personally witnessed in recent past:

• In the recent blizzard I was given a ride to work. When the driver saw a car stuck in the snow he immediately jumped out (motivating myself to follow) and physically pushed the car out of the pile of snow it was stuck in.
• A woman held a heavy door open for multiple people even though she was in a hurry. The extra few seconds didn't end up affecting her appointment.
• A man allowed someone with a few groceries to go ahead of him at the store since he was making a large purchase.
• Someone actually smiled and wished a sincere haztlacha when giving tzedakah to someone in need.

These achievements are attainable for all of us. All it takes is a bit of extra thought. It is very easy to pass by each of these opportunities; however, each involves not only inspiring others around them as a Kiddush Hashem but also potentially many other mitzvot as well.

Put a post it somewhere you look every morning ex: your siddur, tefillin etc. Start the day thinking how you can be thoughtful and do at least one small act to help another. Do it publicly, not for your sake, but for the purpose of inspiring others to do the same.

You should all be blessed with clarity and many mitzvah opportunities.

Omri

The Beginning of a Great Endeavour

Hashem's Light is officially online and out there for the public. May Hashem help this to grow and affect Klal Yisrael in a great and positive manner.

I would just like to document, in this first post, how this website came to be which involves many great Yiddim that I have had the pleasure to be close to:

My wife invited me to partake in a wonderfully inspiring weekend that was the Aish Partner's Conference. I saw so many projects and organizations who had become very effective and successful in having a positive impact on the Jewish people and world as a whole. Although I came only as the husband to an Aish employee my question soon became "What is my impact going to be?"

Throughout the weekend Rabbi Yaakov Solomon and Rabbi Yissocher Frand had given wonderful speaches on the importance of being a kiddush Hashem. I had just finished the Chofetz Chaim Foundation's Lesson A Day and thought that there should be something out there that is similar but reminds us all how many small actions can amount to a hugely positive impact on the image of frum Jews. So I began to ponder and get lots of input from my tzedekis of a wife and decided to put together this website.

There are two functions of the site. The first, which is already in place, is for this to be a forum for sharing stories as well as studies regarding kiddushei Hashem. We have already received and are hoping to receive many simple positive experiences either where a person was a kiddush Hashem or where they witnessed an act of kiddish Hashem. In terms of studies, I am quite limited in my knowledge on the topic and am continually searching for clarification of what a kiddush Hashem really is, what the rewards are for acting as one, what the consequences are for being a chilul Hashem, sources where the Torah specifically speaks on this topic etc.

The second function, which I hope to put in place, will be as a journal for our members. In my yeshiva in Israel I studied Alei Shor with two close friends and we did an exercise that had a profound effect on me. My topic was Hakaras Hatov. Every day I would write all of the Hakaras Hatov that I had expressed and not expressed but should have as well as any instances of Hashgacha Pratis that we had witnessed. After only a few weeks my attitude, clarity and tefillah all changed significantly. When I could review all of the good that was going on and see what good I could have added it was very hard to stay the same. I hope that this journal functionality will do the same for our users. It will be a place to post ones own experiences where they pushed themselves to be a kiddush Hashem or may have missed an opportunity so they will know for next time. It will be a place to note ones own experience of Hashgacha Pratis as well as Hakaras Hatov that they may have had. And it will be a place to log acts of Chessed whether done by or to the person.

I look forward to hearing from all of you. Please do not hesitate to send me an email or share a story. If requested I will keep your personal information anonymous. Have an amazing week!

Omri

Israel in Haiti

An excerpt from an email my mom sent me:

"With Great Pride"

I call it positive. Incredibly so. Not happy -- in fact, unspeakably painful. But a Kiddush HaShem: a blessing on G-d's name.

In the midst of the overwhelming death and destruction that is Haiti right now, there are Israelis who have come to save lives and offer succor.

On Friday, El Al and IDF planes came into Haiti, carrying 250 medical personnel -- doctors, nurses, lab and x-ray technicians and even a psychiatrist -- and supplies for the first mobile hospital, including a pharmacy, a surgical unit, and a maternity ward. A young Haitian mother who was the first to deliver in this ward, early this morning, named her baby Israel.


Members of ZAKA, the Israeli ultra-Orthodox volunteer rescue organization, were on the scene as well. Yesterday, on Shabbat, they labored, digging in the rubble of a collapsed multi-story university building, where cries were heard. After hours of effort, they succeeded in pulling eight students from that rubble, alive.

These ZAKA members then took time, in the midst of the chaos, to wrap themselves in their tallitot(prayer shawls) and recite their Shabbat prayers. Undoubtedly most if not all of the Haitians on the scene had never seen such a sight.

When the men had finished praying, a crowd of people gathered around them and kissed their tallitot.
According to one report, head of the ZAKA mission, Mati Goldstein said:

"With all the hell going on outside, even when things get bad Judaism says we must take a deep breath and go on to save more people."

"We did everything to save lives, despite Shabbat. People asked, 'Why are you here? There are no Jews here', but we are here because the Torah orders us to save lives…"

At one point, when things were very grim, Goldstein reported that one mission member started to sing, Heveinu Shalom Aleichem (We bring peace to you.) "I had tears in my eyes," he said.

The ZAKA mission will be staying in Haiti a couple more days, even though beyond a certain point it is highly unlikely that anyone else will be found alive under the rubble.

What is exceedingly important to the mission is making their Israeli identity very clear. And so, in this regard, you can help Israel by sharing this broadly and letting the world know what we are all about.

Jeff Wander