Q&A: Scheduling a Meeting When They May Travel on the Sabbath
Scheduling a Meeting When They May Travel on the Sabbath
Question
Hello Rabbi, sorry that I’m asking by email and not on the site; it’s just a bit urgent, and I assume you’ll see the email before the site.
May I arrange a meeting with friends (who are atheists) on the Sabbath when there is a high probability that one of them will drive in order to get to the meeting?
It should be noted that they are formerly religious, and the purpose of the meeting is a kind of debate about proofs for God.
Best regards.
Answer
In my opinion, yes, for several reasons: 1. You are not telling them to drive. 2. Violations committed by atheists are not transgressions (as I argued in my article about causing a secular person to sin). 3. It is for their benefit, and they would be driving anyway. Better that they drive to a place like this than drive pointlessly.
Discussion on Answer
If you want to be completely at ease, invite him to stay with you for the Sabbath. If he refuses and wants to drive on his own, that is his decision. But as I said, in my opinion there is no need for that.
And if the debate succeeds and he repents? Maybe he’ll still drive back anyway 🙂
Thank you. One of them lives far away, so the only way for him to get there is by car. Seemingly that undermines leniency #1 (when I invite him, it’s like explicitly telling him to come by car). Are the other two enough?