Q&A: A Secular Person on the Sabbath
A Secular Person on the Sabbath
Question
Hello,
I would be glad to know your opinion about inviting a secular family for Sabbath lunch. Does the Rabbi hold that since he has excluded himself from the commandments, there is no problem and no issue of “do not place a stumbling block”?
I would also be glad to know: if indeed the Rabbi holds that it is permitted to invite/allow a secular person to come on the Sabbath, can he count toward a minyan or not? After all, there seems to be an internal contradiction here. And if he can count toward a minyan, then is it forbidden to invite him on the Sabbath, with “do not place a stumbling block” applying to him?
Answer
If he does not believe, I do not see a problem here.
Of course, such a person cannot count toward a minyan. And even if he is willing to complete the minyan, that does not mean anything. It is בהחלט possible that he is simply doing you a favor.
Discussion on Answer
This pilpul does not work, for at least two reasons: 1. Prayer requires conscious belief. 2. Prayer requires belief in Torah from Sinai, and belief in God alone is not enough (see Maimonides, end of chapter 8 of the Laws of Kings).
Where does the “do not place a stumbling block” issue go in such a case?
According to the secular person’s own view, he is not committing a transgression (or performing a commandment), and therefore according to Rabbi Michi he really is not committing a transgression (or performing a commandment), so there is no causing someone to stumble here.
Even if we accept this, it seems like a very fine line. What is the status of a traditional Jew?
There are very different levels among secular people in relation to religious practice—where does the line pass, and when does he become religious so that the rule of “do not place a stumbling block” applies?
See my article, Causing a Secular Person to Sin.
If at the moment he thinks that it is good that he is doing you a favor, then he is not an atheist, so perhaps from that angle it is permitted to include him? (based on the proof from morality)