dave@utcsrgv.UUCP (Dave Sherman) (03/29/84)
Well, you learn something new every day:
From allegra!hou2a!zev Wed Mar 28 17:44:15 1984
in regard to your posting re: lew mammel's questions about eruv
( i think it was him, anyway ), you mentioned that you had
never heard of a special kind of phone that uses randomness
to get around the issur of lighting a fire.
as far as i know, the institute for science and halacha in israel
( i think it is in jerusalem, and i am not sure about the name of
the organization) has invented such a device. so far as i know, it
is not intended for general use, but only for things like an emergency
connection to medical services, etc. i guess it is intended to
fill in the gray areas between non-emergencies and life-threatening
situations. a switch based on similar principles is intended
as a hospital call button.
write if you have any questions. you may post this if you wish.
zev farkas hou2a!zev 201 949 3821
Interesting. I have heard about an ink for doctors to write
prescriptions on Shabbos. It disappears after a couple of days
and can't be brought back, so it's strictly speaking no k'sivah.
Dave Sherman
Toronto
--
{allegra,cornell,decvax,ihnp4,linus,utzoo}!utcsrgv!daverao@utcsstat.UUCP (Eli Posner) (03/29/84)
[]
The place in Jerusalem that hou2a!zev is referring to is
the "Jerusalem Institute of Technology" also known as "Machon Lev".
There are about 200 students there who learn Limudei Kodesh in the morning,
and in the afternoon learn for the B.A.Sc. in Engineering. Their courses
focus on the development of technology for the use by a Jewish state. (Ie.
make it easier to do things that have to be done on Shabbat).
They have in the past developed numerous things including ink
which disappears after <24 hours, a computer system that could be run on
Shabbat FOR HOSPITALS (don't ask me details), etc.
BTW- the reason these things could be used is NOT because they are mutar,
but because they have to be used for hospitals (->sakanat nufashot), so
these make the thing even more mutar. (Does that sound right?!)
--
Eli Posner
{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!utcsstat!rao