Articles

By Rabbi Dovid Cohen, Administrative Rabbinic Coordinator

Q. Why do I need “Shabbos mode” for my oven or refrigerator?

A. From the time when ovens and refrigerators became household appliances, questions have been raised about their use on Shabbos.  A primary issue was that when the door of the appliance is opened, ambient temperature air enters the chamber, and that might potentially cause the oven’s fire or the fridge’s compressor to turn on to bring the temperature back to the pre-programmed level.  The issue is particularly serious when dealing with an oven, since causing the oven’s fire to turn on is forbidden mid’oraisah, while turning on a refrigerator’s compressor may well only be assur mid’rabannan.  Rabbis took different positions on this matter, with some permitting opening the doors at any time, others required that it only be done when the flame or compressor was on, or some “compromise” position between these two.  Additionally, most appliances were designed so that a light went on when the door was opened, and people were counselled to remove the bulb or cover the “door plunger” so that this would not happen on Shabbos.

Shabbos mode started as a way for Jewish consumers to avoid these issues, by disabling the light, and controlling how the appliance reacted to a person opening its door.  With time, manufacturers added more features to these appliances, and the need for Shabbos mode increased.  This included lights and sounds which were activated by the door opening, automatic shutoff after 12 or 24 hours (which posed a Yom Tov concern), refrigerators that turned on the defrosting coil (an issur d’oraisah) based on how often the door was opened, and similar innovations which raise significant issues for Jewish consumers.  This made the need for a Shabbos mode that much more important, and at this point it is a standard feature that Jewish people request when buying a new appliance.

All agree that Shabbos mode is a wonderful benefit, but there has been some controversy about some of the details.  For example, some suggested that the delayed reaction which Shabbos mode created even allowed a person to adjust the temperature setting on the oven, but most Rabbis did not accept that idea.  Another idea was that certain issues could be downplayed if consumers only opened their oven once per Shabbos and removed all food at that time, while others took a different approach on that.  These are issues that one should discuss with their Rabbi to get direction on how they should practice.

There are also some manufacturers who do not obtain a Rabbinically approved Shabbos mode, but rather “self-certify” that their appliances have that feature.  As expected, not all these manufacturers were successful at this venture, and some can only be used on Shabbos if the consumer adds their own “controller”, such as a magnet at a specific spot.  Lastly, some versions of Shabbos mode have the convenience that they automatically (a) switch into and out of Shabbos mode automatically each week, or (b) adjust the temperature during different times of the day (based on the times when people likely want to cook) on Yom Tov.

All in all, Shabbos mode has been a welcome feature which allows consumers to enjoy their appliances on Shabbos and Yom Tov.

This article first appeared in the Let’s Talk Kashrus column, Yated Ne’eman, April 4, 2025.