Among our fellow Jews – Emor
“Sanctifying the name of God” is the usual way of understanding Kiddush HaShem.
There is a further element which has to be added – “sanctifying the Divine Name in the midst of the Children of Israel” (Lev. 23:32).
When you look at the Book of Sh’mot you see how Moses sanctified God in the presence of Pharoah and the Egyptians, a not unimportant achievement, but that’s not all that the Torah teaches us. It constantly emphasises Kiddush HaShem in the eyes of Moses’ own brethren the Israelites.
In the modern world it is important that the nations should respect Jews and Judaism but we should never forget to see that our own fellow-Jews respect each other and appreciate the grandeur of our own faith and history.
Sometimes we hear people saying, “I wish I wasn’t Jewish!”. It is far better to hear them say, “I am grateful that I am a Jew!”
Albert Einstein said, “I am sorry I was born a Jew… because it deprived me of the chance to choose to be a Jew!”
