Modesty

Dear Rabbis! We have relatives who are not observant of the commandments of the Torah. Something very unpleasant happened to me. One of my uncles sat down right next to me. Of course, I got up right away and walked away, and this caused a whole lot of discomfort (and also some desecration of G-d’s name). What should one do in such a situation? Thank you!

Dear …!

You did the right thing. Sitting in close proximity often breeds familiarity, which is forbidden. Besides, it’s difficult not to touch each other while sitting so close. How fortunate is your lot that you were able to overcome the unpleasantness!

Besides all this, there is absolutely no problem of desecrating G-g’s name when a person does something that is incumbent upon him by the Torah law. Desecration of G-g’s name happens only when an observant person behaves not according to the Torah, or acts in a crooked or immoral manner. This is what the Talmud says about this: “look how corrupt are the deeds and how ugly are the ways of this one, who is a Tora-learner!”

Tractate Yumah 86a; Shulchan Oruch, section Even ha-Ezer, chapter 21.