by
Rabbi Michael Laitner

Parshat Kedoshim

How far do our responsibilities go?

Rashi, the premier Torah commentator, explains that this verse is not to be taken simply in its literal sense. It also prohibits intentionally giving another person misleading advice. It is commonly known as ‘lifnei iver’, an abbreviation of its Hebrew formulation.

The Talmud (TB Avoda Zara 6b) takes this a step further, in discussing a principle which has become widely used in contemporary Halachic decision-making. For example, may we encourage others to carry out a forbidden act, by, for example, selling cigarettes which are not only harmful, but also contrary to Jewish law?

The Talmud’s case study involves a Nazir, a person who has taken a vow to abstain from any wine. The Talmud explains that if the Nazir lives in a town by the side of a river where there is no wine available, then one who brings the Nazir wine to drink from the other side of the river transgresses the prohibition of ‘lifnei iver’, even though it is the Nazir himself who decides to drink the wine.

If, however, there is already source of wine in the town where the Nazir resides, then one who brings wine for the Nazir from the other side of the river, does not transgress ‘lifnei iver’, as the Nazir could have obtained the wine in any case.

Returning to our example of encouraging others to smoke, we now see one element of the Halachic process’ treatment of the issue, although a fuller appraisal is outside the purview of this column!