[Avodah] Driving Miss Daisy to Chameitz

[Dr. Josh Backon]

>My neighbor gave me a lift home from the bus stop last night, and posed
>this dilemma.
>
>Every week she drives this 86 yr old lady to the supermarket to help
>with her grocery shopping. Friend is sure that the older woman will not
>change her very routine menu.
>
>So:
>Does he drive the woman, risking lifnei iveir or mesayei'ah?
>Or does she not drive, risking the woman having a food shortage?
>Should she bow out but find a non-Jewish driver -- is that any less
>lifnei iveir otherwise?


Obviously there's a nafka mina between BEFORE Pessach where the food
is heter vs. on Chol haMoed where it's issur. On Chol haMoed: Lefi aniyut
daati it would look like an issur mesaei'ah as per the Shach in Yoreh Deah
151. Taking the woman to the supermarket BEFORE Pessach looks like a
"melachto l'issur u'l'heter" (as per Mishna in Shviit 5:6) and thus OK. There's
no "l'hafrish m'issur" because the food before Pessach is heter.

Lifnei Iver: only if the one driving the elderly woman mentions (4 
days before Pessach)
that there's a terrific sale at the local supermarket on whole wheat 
pasta and frozen
pastry.

My suggestion: the driver should take her to a kosher supermarket if 
one is available
and mention the wonderful products on sale.

KT

Josh