[Avodah] Lifnei Iveir

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Tue, May 26, 2015 at 02:35:10AM +0000, Kenneth Miller via Avodah wrote:
: It is one thing to dissuade a prospective ger from joining us. But Ruth
: had been living with a Jewish family for ten years! How can Naami urge
: her to go back to avoda zara? I know that the meforshim give various
: reasons why Naami did not want them to accompany her back to Eretz
: Yisrael, but do those reasons justify this Lifnei Iveir?

On a technical level, it would be mesayeia, not lifnei iver, and I'm
not sure that mesayeia applies to 7 mitzvos benei Noach.

But if you're just asking how it's moral... Just thinking off-the cuff.

The timing is between eishes Shimshon and Shelomo's mistake with many
of his wives. It would seem that women only pretending monotheism to
join the Jewish People was common. If Rus was going to be a pagan either
way, better not one who people would mistake for a geir.


Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             A wise man is careful during the Purim banquet
micha at aishdas.org        about things most people don't watch even on
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Fax: (270) 514-1507                       - Rav Yisrael Salanter