Parshas Maasei: Selling Meat During the Nine Days

Dear Halachaboy: I own a Kosher meat restaurant and while my clientele is mainly frum Jews, I do have plenty of non-frum customers. May I continue to sell meat products to them during the nine days? To Senior Steak Seller: As you mentioned during the nine days it is prohibited for Jews to eat meat. However, there is certainly no prohibition to sell meat to another person, and thus it is totally fine to sell meat to non-Jews. In regards to selling meat to fellow Jews I believe your question is more of Lifnei Iver question, then a nine days one. So in order to get a better understanding of the concept of Lifnei Iver I will digress and explain some of its rules. For the sake of enjoyment I would like to answer you question with a seemingly unrelated question: Can you set up a guy and a girl who you know won't keep Taharas HaMispacha? Or perhaps you can ask can a Rabbi of community perform a wedding on a couple who he knows won't keep Taharas HaMispacha? Back to our answer. Lifnei Iver, literally translated as "in front of the blind", is a biblical prohibition against placing a stumbling block in front of someone who can not see. Our Rabbis told us this also applies to giving someone bad advice on purpose, and thus taking advantage of him. However, Lifnei Iver might also extend to facilitating someone to commit an Averah. The Gemara in Avodah Zara (6b) writes that if one passes a Nazer wine, or a Ben Noach some Aver Min HaChay he has violated the commandment of Lifnei Iver- he has facilitated someone elses sin. The Gemara, however, makes one quick clarification. One can only violate the prohibition of Lifnei Iver if the Naazer couldn't have gotten the wine himself (Tre Avrah D'Nara- you were on two seperate sides of the river), however, if the Naazer could have gotten the wine himself (Chad Avrah D'Nara- you were on the same side of the river), you just helped him that is not a violation of the Biblical Commandment of Lifnei Iver. The Rishonim due argue as to whether there is a Rabbanic prohibition of "Ma'Saya" (or facilitating) when there is no Biblical prohibition of Lifnei Iver. We generally assume that there does exist a Rabbinic prohibition of Ma'Saya. However, Rav Moshe writes that if one is helping not to facilitate his friend's crime but for his own personal benefit then the prohibition of Ma'Saya does not exist. Thus, while it is commendable to tell every Jew that comes to purchase meat that eating meat is prohibited during the nine days (with some exceptions: shabbas, siyum, etc), there is no prohibition on you if you choose to sell it to them. A. Lifnei Iver is not an issue because they can go somewhere else to buy meat. B. Ma'Saya is not an issue because you are doing it for your own profitable interest and not to facilitate his crime. In conclusion, for the same rationale one may set up a couple who won't keep all the Mitzvos and a Rav can perform a ceremony for them, provided they receive some financial compensation. (Perhaps one of the sources for paying a Shadchan).