Lifnei Iver
From Halachipedia
Based on the pasuk "Lifnei Iver Lo TIten Michshol" - "Before a blind person one should not place a stumbling block,"[1] chazal understand that there is a prohibition to cause another Jew to violate a prohibition of the Torah.[2]
Practical Examples
- For example, one who borrows and pays back with interest, besides for other transgressions of interest, the borrower is in violation of Lifnei Iver.[3]
- Regarding leaving a commercial website or a vending machine on during Shabbat in a place where non-religious Jews may use it, see Minchat Yitzchak 5:14, Shevet HaLevi 8:40(1), 10:57, Chelket Yacov 70, VeYan Shmuel 8:11, Rabbi Shmuel Pinchasi (VeDaber Davar 6:12, pg 148), Maareh habezek 5:37, and Darkei David 2:38.
- Right before Shabbat it is forbidden to get in a taxi if the driver is Jewish if there’s not enough time for him to get home before Shabbat after he drops you off.[4]
- It is forbidden for a minyan to daven in a room that they know a Jew will turn off the lights after they're finished. Even though he's doing it on his own, he wouldn't have done so if they didn't daven there.[5]
- It is forbidden to feed your friend something you hold is permitted and he holds is forbidden without telling him about it. It is only acceptable to do this if the one offering is fit to make a halachic ruling and the prohibition is recognizable to the friend so he can make a decision on his own to avoid it.[6]
Non-religious Jews
- There are poskim who are lenient regarding the rabbinic form of lifnei iver for a non-religious Jew specifically if he is going to violate the prohibition intentionally.[7] This does not apply to the biblical cases of lifnei iver.[8]
