Parashas Emor

You shall not desectrate My holy Name (Leviticus 22:32)

    After the Torah sets out various conditions which invalidate an animal sacrifice, we are told, "You shall not desectrate My holy Name," which warns us to never do something that will dishonor the Name of God. This is a very strange juxtaposition. The laws discussed in the beginning of the section are the invalidation of a sacrifice which is younger than eight days old, the prohibition against slaughtering an animal and its offspring on the same day, and the prohibition to express an intention to do a part of the Temple service outside of its proper place or consume a sacrifice beyond the allotted time. These matters would seem to have nothing in common with the warning not to dishonor the Name of Hashen. We see from this that each and every mitzvah contains in its fulfillment the element of sanctification of Hashem's Name, and in its transgression the desecration of Hashem's Name - even if done in private, when no one will know. We cannot measure and compare mitzvos. All that matters is doing the will of our Creator, and doing so sanctifies His Name. Doing the opposite by disregarding His will desecrates His Name.

    Excerpt from Darash Moshe Volume II, by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, zt"l