halacha - Inviting a non-observant Jew on Shabbat or Yom Tov

Can I invite a Jew for a meal on Shabbat or Yom Tov if I know they will drive to my house?

Answer

There is an argument between different Rabbis:

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  Igros Moshe says that one is prohibited to invite someone to a synagogue if the only way one will be able to get there is by car. He says that there are several issues:

  
  
  
  
  1. Lifnei Iver (he is like one who places a stumbling block). He says this applies even if the people whom he invites live close enough to the synagogue to walk but choose to drive anyways, and possibly even if they are not invited outright but are just informed of the minyan.
  
  
  2. Meisis (being a missionary). He says that this applies only if one invites them to a synagogue to which they cannot get without driving.
  
  
  
  

  He also says in a previous letter (siman 98 on that page) that one isn't allowed to invite children to a synagogue (to train them to pray in a minyan) as the act of inviting them is itself an act of teaching the opposite of the Torah - that one should rather drive to synagogue than pray alone.

  
  



• 
  

  Tshuvos Vehanhagos from R' Moshe Shternbuch (the head of the Eida Hachareidis) writes that there is no concern for Lifnei Iver (placing a stumbling block in front of the blind) as that prohibition only applies when one advises someone to harm him. Here, however, when one wants to bring a non-religious person closer to Judaism. Even though the person will end up hurting himself in the process (by driving a car), that is not his responsibility if he tells them that he is upset by them driving on Shabbos. However, he says that they should park a bit away from one's house to avoid Chillul Hashem.

  
  

I also heard that some Rabbonim permit one to invite since

• they will most probably violate shabbos anyways (if they will not come to one's house, they will go to the beach, etc.), one can invite them to bring them closer to Judaism.


• and they may be embarrassed to violate Shabbos in a religious person's house, so that by inviting them (and passively allowing them to drive), one may save them from other chillul Shabbos.