[Avodah] Rabbi Noach Isaac Oelbaum's Position on the Kosher Switch

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

PS: On the relevance of random delay to gerama...

AhS OC 514:11 (still catching up to the yomi schedule after Pesach) 
quotes
the Rama (se'if 3) who in turn cites the Maharil that it's permissable
to put a candle in a windy place on Yom Tov that it should be blown 
out,
as long as the wind isn't blowing at the time you're taking it outside.
The AhS explains, "For doing so before the wind comes -- that is
*geram* kibui".

A case of gerama with a random time delay. But this is Yom Tov, where
the laws against extinguishing are looser. The AhS refers you to OC
277:7, where we see that on Shabbos it's assur -- but because of a
special gezeira to prevent people from doing the same when the wind 
*is*
blowing. Not because of gerama.

I also don't think the randomness of the length of the delay is
necessarily relevant. Just pointing out halachic precedent.

But it's certainly not "iffy" that we could invoke sefeiq sefeiqa. It's 
a
random length delay, not a doubt whether or not the switch will 
eventually
cause the outcome. The odds the wind will never come, or the 
randomizer(s)
will never produce a combination that causes the switch to be honored,
is ignorably small. (No one is selling a switch that may or may not 
shut
the light.)

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 12th day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        1 week and 5 days in/toward the omer.
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