Faqs

Q. If my oven or warming drawer is on for Yom Tov, is it permitted to open the oven door, or do I have to be concerned that doing so might cause the flame or heating element to turn on?


A. There are those who hold that the halacha depends on the question of safek psik reishah leshevar, discussed in Biur Halacha 316:3. According to this approach opening the door when the flame has cycled off would be permitted on Yom Tov (when creating a new flame is assur mid'rabannan) and forbidden on Shabbos (when it is assur mid'oraisah). However, Rav Gedalia Dov Schwartz, zt"l's opinion is that opening the door has such an indirect effect on whether the flame goes on, that it qualifies as the type of grama which is permitted on both Yom Tov and Shabbos, and, therefore, one may open the door at any time.