Q&A: Causing Indirect Harm for the Sake of Sabbath Observance
Causing Indirect Harm for the Sake of Sabbath Observance
Question
In a WhatsApp group of freelancers in a certain profession, someone was looking for a freelancer to work on the Sabbath. Someone responded to the post: "There is no blessing in it," and got a few likes for that (I’m not mentioning that casually; I want to illustrate the character of the group).
From my familiarity with the group’s dynamics and character, that comment would somewhat hurt demand for the job and therefore perhaps also the price and the employer’s expected profit. In this case, the commenter was convinced that there really is no blessing in such work, so presumably he was allowed to write that, and perhaps from his perspective there is even an element of returning a lost item here. I, of course, do not believe that at all, and my question is:
1. Am I allowed to preach words of truth in response to the job offer, something that will cause the advertiser damage but might save a person who is tempted to desecrate the Sabbath for the sake of money?
2. In a case where everyone in the group does not believe, am I allowed simply to try to lower the standing of the job for the sake of Sabbath observance, or is there no point in trying to stop them from desecrating the Sabbath, since they are not committing a transgression through their Sabbath desecration (I assume Sabbath is an obligation on the person, not an inherent status of the object, and so, for example, there is no value in accidental Sabbath observance by some child captured among the gentiles. Correct me if I’m wrong). Aside from the possibility that there is no point, one also cannot say that I am trying to save people who want to be saved. They all think I am mistaken, and it would be similar to someone ruining a deal for me because he thinks it is not a smart deal for me.
3. Was I right that the commenter in the case above acted properly according to his own view, that there is indeed no blessing in such a thing? I thought that perhaps since he knows the advertiser does not think as he does, he is forbidden to cause damage because of his private beliefs. Though he is trying to save people who share that belief with him.
Sorry for the mess. Thank you very much!
Answer
I roughly understood the case. From this point on I didn’t understand anything. Nothing at all from the questions.
Discussion on Answer
It is certainly permitted and appropriate. Even if they do not believe in God, you are persuading them about something that, in your view, is problematic. If you are not lying, what is the problem? If I don’t care that someone is robbing you, am I forbidden to tell you that he is robbing you? I really do not understand the discussion. I’m not sure you understand it.
By that logic, am I allowed to ruin someone’s deal if I think it’s a bad one?
The kiosk owner thinks there is nothing to the Sabbath, and so do the buyers whom I am “saving” (in the second case).
Suppose a Muslim comes—who thinks everyone is Muslim, whether heretics or not—to a stand selling a bacon sandwich and starts persuading customers not to buy because there is dirt on the counter. Maybe that really is the case, but what is unclear?
Maybe you thought I meant a significant flaw. What I meant was that the motivation is the Sabbath, and I find some excuse to badmouth the place. There are always flaws.
P.S. In the example with the Muslim, everyone is non-Jewish.
I’ll write it one more time, and with this I’m done. If you are lying (“badmouthing” is just a euphemism for the same thing), then no. But if you are telling the truth, then what is the problem? I don’t understand the question.
Clarification from the questioner:
Sorry I wasn’t clear. I’ll narrow it down to two questions and use an alternative case:
Am I allowed to stand at the entrance to a kiosk on the Sabbath and persuade people not to buy?
Is there any difference in a case where the buyers do not believe in God and I persuade them not to buy by pointing to the high prices or to any other real flaw—one that doesn’t actually interest me.