The way I could understand it is as follows:
The Rov is noteh that it's chol but wants to be machmir for the possibility that it's Y"T. Therefore, for melacha and seudos etc. treat it like Y"T but for Shmoneh Esrei it's a binary choice so do the one that he's more noteh is correct.
So here is where my confusion lies - if am making a seudah and davening chol, I am making kiddush no? So I am making kiddush it's contradictory for me to say "Mekadesh Yisroel v'hzmanim" in kiddush and not say it in Shomneh Esrei.
(I assume you are making kiddush, if not what makes it a seudah, it's simply lunch )
I can't see a situation where there is a strong enough sefak for me to observe Yom Tov and NOT say Yom Tov Davening.
This is basically a non-psak known by Americans as 1 and 1/2 days. When I was living there as a newlywed I asked R Dovid Mor who told me that if I get such a psak I can go ask someone else,
My sentiments exactly, but in the case of my son's friends, they don't have a choice...
It's a psak mesafek. Note that unless you're sephardic or Chabad pretty much everybody keeps 2 days unless considering staying in Israel permanently.
I am not questioning the 2 days for a ben chutznik - just the idea of "1.5" days. I get keeping two days, but they way this Am Haretz sees it:
- If we're so concerned about the sefaik of today being YT for a Ben Chutznik, then we should treat it entirely of a Yom Tov
- If we're so concerned that someone saying YT Tefila today is erring by saying the wrong davening, that we make them daven tefilot chol (or chol hamoed), it must be that today really isn't YT for them