In regards to your postscript, it’s certainly possible that the use of Shabos goyim by Orthodox Jews is logically consistent, but it doesn’t stop there! One of, to me, the most fascinating examples of this sort of patching is Shabbat technology. The example that always strikes me is the Shabbat elevator, which is quite common in Israel. Basically, it’s a normal elevator, except that during the appointed period of time it operates in a much different manner: constantly cycling through the floors and stopping on every single one. This way ‘observant’ Jews are able to get to the high floors without having to push a button. (There are actually a number of Modern Orthodox families in my 16 story apartment building in Maryland, but I think they use the stairs on Shabbat, especially as our elevators are more likely to break down than anything else...)
I suppose one could argue that the elevator has become a Shabbat robot and that robots, like goyim, are exempt from Halakha, but these technologies are designed and built for the sole purpose of, from the religious perspective, cheating God. It baffles me how anyone can actually see this as a valid use of technology while still claiming to observe Shabbat. Bill Maher actually visited a company that designs and builds a large variety of Shabbat machines in Israel in Religulous where they demonstrated some more such technologies such as a compressed air-powered Shabbat wheelchair.
In regards to your postscript, it’s certainly possible that the use of Shabos goyim by Orthodox Jews is logically consistent, but it doesn’t stop there! One of, to me, the most fascinating examples of this sort of patching is Shabbat technology. The example that always strikes me is the Shabbat elevator, which is quite common in Israel. Basically, it’s a normal elevator, except that during the appointed period of time it operates in a much different manner: constantly cycling through the floors and stopping on every single one. This way ‘observant’ Jews are able to get to the high floors without having to push a button. (There are actually a number of Modern Orthodox families in my 16 story apartment building in Maryland, but I think they use the stairs on Shabbat, especially as our elevators are more likely to break down than anything else...)
I suppose one could argue that the elevator has become a Shabbat robot and that robots, like goyim, are exempt from Halakha, but these technologies are designed and built for the sole purpose of, from the religious perspective, cheating God. It baffles me how anyone can actually see this as a valid use of technology while still claiming to observe Shabbat. Bill Maher actually visited a company that designs and builds a large variety of Shabbat machines in Israel in Religulous where they demonstrated some more such technologies such as a compressed air-powered Shabbat wheelchair.