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Can I play an online game when it is Shabbat/Yom Tov in another time zone?

Question:

Let’s say it’s motzei Shabbat and I’m in New York. I want to play an online game with other players, but it’s still Shabbat in California. When I play the game, I’m interacting with hundreds of other players anonymously. If I were to interact with 200 different players in the span of a few hours, statistically on average I would be playing with a few Jews each time. Do I have to wait until Shabbat is over in all timezones before I want to play to make sure I don’t play with any other Jews? These players are anonymous, so I wouldn’t ever be able to know if they are Jewish or not.

 

Answer:

Hello,

You do not have to wait, because we can assume that each anonymous person is a gentile, because we go according to the majority (roiv), and he majority of people in the United States and the world are gentiles. Secondly, you don’t know if they ae from California or from Europe, and it isn’t Shabbos for them. Additionally, you are not forcing them to do anything, and they can play with other people.

Best wishes

 

 

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