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death throes] is considered murder and in our case it is actual murder
and it is untenable to even consider5.
We shall now discuss the second part of the question: Does the
director violate, “Do not put a stumbling block before a blind man”?
By way of introduction, let us pose a question:
What is the halachah if Reuven asks Shimon to give him a limb
torn from a living animal to eat, threatening that should Shimon
refuse he will cause him financial damage? Should Shimon fulfill
Reuven’s request and enable him to transgress, in order to avoid suf-
fering financial loss? Or perhaps it is forbidden to “put an obstacle
before a blind man” even when this results in financial loss, just as
it is forbidden to transgress any other prohibition in order to avoid
monetary loss?
The Maharil Diskin (Kuntres Acharon 5:145) deliberates upon this
question and responds,“[In regard to] the prohibition of “Do not put
an obstacle before a blind man” – it appears to me that if the other
person is exerting financial pressure, it is permitted.” See there, where
he cites proof to this from several cases discussed in the gemara:
1. In Gittin (44a), the gemara says that a person who sells his
house to a non-Jew is allowed to confirm the transaction
in a secular court in order to guarantee that he receives
payment. Although using an idolatrous judge violates “Do
not put an obstacle before a blind man” – by leading the
gentiles to sin by strengthening their idolatrous belief – it
is nonetheless permitted so that the Jew will not lose his
money.
2. In its discussion of the topic of “muzzling” a worker and
preventing him from eating from the vineyard where
he is working, the gemara Bava Metzia (88b) discusses
whether the employer will receive lashes [for transgressing
5. In regard to caring for a gosses see earlier siman 203, on the topic of “Moving a
Gosses to the ICU.’
Enabling a Non-Jew to Commit Suicide 2 451
