Hi. I’m a college student and this yom tov I’m missing a lot of class time that is important to make up. Can I have a goy tape record the classes with the professors consent? Is she able to do melacha for me on Rosh Hashana, Sukkos, and Simchat Torah?
Thank you for your time.
Answer:
It is forbidden to ask a non-Jew to perform a melachah for you on Yom Tom. However, some poskim permit asking a non-Jew to tell another non-Jew to do the melachah. Therefore, if you feel you need the recorded classes, you should ask a non-Jewish classmate to tell another non-Jewish classmate to tape the class. You should ask the first non-Jew to ask the second non-Jew to tape the class before Yom Tov.
Sources: Biur Halachah (306) quotes from Chasam Sofer that it is permitted to tell one non-Jew to tell another before Shabbos to do a melachah on Shabbos. Although Biur Halachah defers this ruling, several authorities agree that this is permitted, and one may rely on this in case of need. See Shevet Halevi (4:29); Mishnah Lemelech (Shabbos, 6:9).
