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

[Zev Sero via Avodah]

On 04/16/2015 03:12 PM, Micha Berger via Avodah wrote:
>
> BTW, I found a reference to the case in the SA at
> <http://www.kosherswitch.com/liv/tech/the-analogy>. To quote:
>
>      An alternative Talmudic analogy:
>
>       * There is a candle burning next to a closed window, and a strong
>         wind blowing outside.  Certainly, opening the window on Shabbat is
>         forbidden, since the candle will be extinguished immediately.
>
>       * There is a device that can determine if there's no wind currently
>         blowing, and it can predict with 100% accuracy that no wind will be
>         blowing for at least the next ~5 seconds.  It lights up with a
>         green light when it has determined this to be true.
>
>       * On Shabbat, a person opens/closes the window while the device's
>         indicator is green, knowing that a wind will ultimately blow and
>         succeed in extinguishing the candle.
>
>       * More accurately:  A person opens/closes the window before the wind
>         is created, before the candle is placed by the window, at a time
>         when the device's indicator is green, knowing that sometimes gusts
>         of wind hit the candle [its future location] and sometimes they
>         miss, and even when they do strike the candle, sometimes they're
>         able to extinguish it, but other times they do not... Welcome to
>         KosherSwitch (R).

Yes, and it seems from the SA that this would be permitted.   The big
difference, though, is that in the SA's case there is no intention to
extinguish the flame, and here there is.

-- 
Zev Sero               I have a right to stand on my own defence, if you
zev at sero.name          intend to commit felony...if a robber meets me in
                        the street and commands me to surrender my purse,
                        I have a right to kill him without asking questions
                                               -- John Adams