On this question discussing whether a Jew may participate in the Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange site, one of the issues raised is marit ayin. But does marit ayin really apply on an anonymous internet site? Should a Jew be worried that others might think that he is doing something wrong, even though nobody actually knows who he really is? After all, for all anybody else knows, the person could even just be pretending to be Jewish.
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Are non-Jews allowed to sin?– Double AA ♦Commented Jul 3, 2013 at 6:37
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1 Answer
Halachipedia (link) cites Mesechtas Shabbos 64b and Tosfas Mesechtas Kesubos 60a as saying that marit ayin applies even in private, but possibly only for d'oraisa:
When something is not allowed because of maris ayin, then it is not permitted in one's room either (chadrei chadurim - privately). Some say this is only something which is perceived as an issur d'oraisa, and not something which is perceived as an issur d'rabbanan.
The question becomes: Does participating in the Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange look like something that is asur d'oraisa (while being technically permitted), and why would it look forbidden?
