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

  1. 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]
  2. 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.
  3. 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]
  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]

Non-religious Jews

  1. 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.[6] This does not apply to the biblical cases of lifnei iver.[7]

Links

Related Pages

Sources

  1. Vayikra 19:14
  2. Rambam Sefer HaMitzvot (Lavin 299)
  3. Bava Metsia 75b
  4. Or Letzion (v. 2 p. 153 16:7)
  5. Igrot Moshe OC 3:43
  6. Dagul Mirvava to Shach YD 151:6
  7. Shach 159:3 applies lifnei iver to giving interest to a mumar.