לזכות ידידי אהובי ר' משה גבריאל בן יהודית וב"ב לברכה והצלחה בכל עניניו בין בגשם ובין ברוח
The pasuk famously says [Vayikra 19/14] לפני עור לא תתן מכשול - It is forbidden to put a stumbling block in front of the blind.
This means that it is forbidden to both cause another Jew to sin and also to give bad advice [עצה רעה].
The Minchas Chinuch [see 232/1] implies that both prohibitions are considered בין אדם לחבירו.
Reb Elchonon [no relation - halevai! - Kovetz Shiurim Psachim 95] argues that they are two distinct prohibitions. Causing one to sin is בין אדם למקום while giving bad advice is בין אדם לחבירו.
The practical difference would be regarding a goy. The gemara [Avoda Zara 6a] says that one may not give forbidden food [אבר מן החי] to a goy to eat. So it is explicit that one may not cause him to sin. The Minchas Chinuch says that one may also not give him bad advice because once we establish that לפני עור applies to a goy why should we distinguish between various categories of לפני עור. This is rooted in his understanding that both categories of לפני עור are בין אדם למקום.
Reb Elchonon contends that one is not prohibited from offering עצה רעה to a גוי because that is in the category of בין אדם לחברו which generally doesn't apply equally between goyim and Jews.
Many great Roshei Yeshiva wondered [קונטרסי שיעורים ב"ק כ"ג ו' ועוד]: Is לפני עור part of the aveira that is transgresed or an independent aveira.
Na"m [- nafka minah]? If one must give up one's life not to cause someone to commit a sin for which one must give his life such a עריות. If it is considered a sin of עריות then he must. If it is an independent aveirah then he need not.
Also - a mechalel shabbos has the staus in certain areas of halacha as a goy. If one is מכשיל his friend in chilul shabbos is he also a like a goy? That is contingent upon the aforementioned chakira.
What is the din if one placed a stumbling block before his friend but he didn't stumble. Meaning, he tried to get him to sin but was unsuccessful. Is that considered לפני עור? Huuugge machlokes and discussion amongst the achronim.
If one causes his friend to commit an איסור דרבנן is that considered לפני עור according to the Torah or is it only מדרבנן? Some say that it is no different than an עצה רעה and thus מדאורייתא. Others argue that it is only מדרבנן.
Finally - the Minchas Chinuch wonders what the halacha is if one actually places a stumbling block before a blind person - is that an איסור דאורייתא or only a מדרבנן? On one hand אין מקרא יוצא מידי פשוטו and the simple meaning of the pasuk is that one may not put a stumbling block in front of a blind person. On the other hand, maybe the words are only a figure of speech and the real meaning is that one must not lead astray a person who is spiritually "blind".
The poskim say on the positive side - if giving bad advice is a sin, giving good advice is a mitzva.......
[עי' קובץ יסודות וחקירות עמ' 332 והלאה ובס' לפני עור ועוד הרבה ספרים שדנו בעניינים אלו]
