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for causing her unjustified suffering by introducing non- medical
considerations into medical advice.

A similar question is liable to arise in regard to a woman [even
married] who does not observe the laws of family purity.

Dr. Y. Kuperman, Specialist in Cardiac
Disease, Bnei Brak

ɳ Response

The Torah states,“Do not put a stumbling block before a blind man.”
(Vayikra 19: 14) This is explained in maseches Avodah Zarah (6a) as
follows: Rabbi Nasan said,“From where do we know that one should
not extend a cup of wine to a Nazir [whom the Torah forbids to drink
wine] or a limb torn from a living animal to a non-Jew [who may not
eat it]? The Torah says,‘Do not place a stumbling block before a blind
man.’”

In Toras Kohanim it says: “‘Do not put a stumbling block before
a blind man’ – do not give inappropriate advice to a person who is
‘blind’ i.e. unknowledgeable in the matter. Do not advise him, ‘Sell
your field and buy a donkey’ and then deceitfully buy the field from
him.”

In the sefer Korban Aharon it says that actually placing a stone in
the path of a blind man does not violate the prohibition of “Lifnei iver
lo sitein mich’shol, Do not put a stumbling block before a blind man,”
because the Torah’s intention here is to forbid causing another person
to stumble in sin or to offer him inappropriate advice. Now, although
there is a principle that states,“No passuk [whatever meaning it may
convey through being expounded] loses its simple meaning,” this is no
contradiction. Here too, says the Korban Aharon, it is evident even
the passuk’s simple meaning doesn’t refer to causing a blind man to
stumble by putting a stone in his path. Were that the Torah’s intention
it would have used the term lo tasim, meaning “do not place” rather
than lo sitein, “do not put” because the word sitein literally means “to
give,” denoting giving something to the other person [i.e. the means to

260 1 Medical-Halachic Responsa of Rav Zilberstein