וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֮ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם֒ כִּ֣י הִ֤וא חָכְמַתְכֶם֙ וּבִ֣ינַתְכֶ֔ם לְעֵינֵ֖י הָעַמִּ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִשְׁמְע֗וּן אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַחֻקִּ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וְאָמְר֗וּ רַ֚ק עַם־חָכָ֣ם וְנָב֔וֹן הַגּ֥וֹי הַגָּד֖וֹל הַזֶּֽה׃
Guardadlos, pues, y ponedlos por obra: porque esta es vuestra sabiduría y vuestra inteligencia en ojos de los pueblos, los cuales oirán todos estos estatutos, y dirán: Ciertamente pueblo sabio y entendido, gente grande es ésta.
Gray Matter III
In a number of places, the Torah presents us with the mission of serving as a role model for other nations.14See Shemot 19:6, Seforno’s comments ad. loc., and Devarim 4:6. Indeed, part of every Jew’s role is to emulate the kiddush Hashem created by Avraham Avinu, who is referred to by his Hittite neighbors as “a prince of God amongst us” (Bereishit 23:6). Chazal regard a chillul Hashem as such a major infraction (see, for example, Yoma 86a) because setting a positive example for others is at the core of the mission of the Jewish people.
Gray Matter III
Accordingly, the sight of an observant Jew smoking in our time constitutes a chillul Hashem, and it certainly does not create the impression of “a knowledgable and wise nation” (Devarim 4:6).