DY: although I mostly agree with you about “shaila shopping I would like to ask: putting aside the “emotional” issue LU brought up, if a Rav simply avoids paskening for whatever reason, is it still considered a psak?
Unless JS613 is lying, it would seem to me that the Rav wasn’t comfortable giving a heter, but neither did he outright forbid it. That may leave the option of involving another Rav open, IMHO.