Four great sins

Hi,

Four sins are so great that "Gd will not provide a person with the means for repentance, due to the gravity of his sin."

These are:

One who causes the masses to sin, or to desist from a mitzvah;

One who leads someone from a good path to a bad one;

One who sees his child, or anyone he could inflence, going to a bad path, and does not protest;

One who says, 'I will sin and repent', or 'I will sin and Yom Kippur will atone.'

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentance 4:1)

גמר חתימה טובה,

Mordechai

Giving a smoker a match

Hi,

Giving a smoker a match does not violate the prohibition against causing the blind to stumble, even if one personally believes smoking to be dangerous. This is because many people have smoked and have not experienced harm.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 2:49)

[Note: Please see the disclaimer atop this blog - this is one view, and there are others. But I did not bring this responsum in order to court controversy. Rather, I think it is worth recognizing within Rav Moshe's words the following two points: 1) If research would reveal an overwhelmingly large risk, then the prohitibition would apply. 2) Also, if research would be able to identify which people are not at risk and which people are, then offering a match to a person who is in the "at risk" category would violate this prohibition.]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Oversight of sin

Hi,

One may not appoint a mashgiach [kashrut supervisor] for a food production facility in which a particular process requires a Jew to violate Jewish law, even where the end result will be a kosher product. Assigning a mashgiach there would give the false impression of approving the violation of Jewish law, and so violate the lifnei iver prohibition against causing the blind to stumble.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 2:41)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Selling shaatnez clothing

Hi,

Jews are biblically prohibited from wearing garments which contain wool and linen. [The prohibition may only be rabbinic, depending on how the wool and linen are blended.]

A Jew may not sell clothing to other Jews if there is a real possibility that it might contain shaatnez. If he warns them, and they are likely to check it out, then he may do so.

A Jew may sell clothing to Jews who won't check it, if the possibility of shaatnez is very small.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:72)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kosher catering, Non-kosher program

Hi,

Despite the prohibitions against placing a stumbling block before the blind and aiding wrongdoing, as well as the requirement to help others avoid sinning, one may provide catering services for an event at which transgressions will take place, where there are other catering options besides his own.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Yoreh Deah 1:72)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Giving food to someone who will not recite a berachah

Hi,

One should avoid giving food to someone who will not recite a berachah. However, one who feels he must provide food, lest he appear rude, should find a way to ask the person to recite a berachah. Then, even should the person decline to do so, the host will have fulfilled his personal obligation.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:13:1, 5:13:5)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Sending a letter through the mail on Friday

Hi,

One should not put a letter in a mailbox on Friday in an area where it is likely that Jews work in the post office on Shabbat. This is not a problem if the likelihood is low, though, even if it is still a possibility.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:46)

[Note: This is only tangential to a more complex issue, regarding express letters and requesting work from non-Jews for Shabbat. There is much more to say on that topic.]

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

A light which a Jew will extinguish on Shabbat

Hi,

One may not turn on a light before Shabbat, even for a mitzvah like prayer, if he knows that a Jew will turn it off on Shabbat. However, one may turn it on if he is uncertain whether a Jew will turn it off.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:43)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Enabling others to sin

Hi,

One may sell or rent an entity to a Jew who will use it to violate Shabbat, so long as (a) the Jew could also acquire such an item elsewhere, and (b) the item could also be used in permitted ways.

This applies, for example, to selling kitchen equipment or renting an apartment with a kitchen to a Jew who likely will cook on Shabbat.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:66)

Have a great day,
Mordechai