By Margie Pensak. Ever since 1998, the year after Whirlpool Corporation (the manufacturer of Kitchen Aid) approached STAR-K to help modify their ovens for use on Shabbos and Yom Tov—the launch of a historic technological project between a major appliance manufacturer and a kosher certification agency—Sabbath observant consumers have benefitted from appliances that conform to halachic guidelines. STAR-K certified “Sabbath Mode” models of ovens and refrigerators include those that have unique software/hardware designed to specifically address their halachic concerns.
The functions of these Sabbath Mode appliances, developed by STAR-K Kosher Certification with the help of STAR-K Engineering Consultant Jonah Ottensoser, are intricate and complicated. Some of them were recently referred to inaccurately, in the OU Guide to Passover 2016 [“Navigating Kitchen Appliance Technology”, by Rabbi Eli Gersten (pages 40-45)].
These inaccuracies include:
- On page 41: “….in addition, burners will turn off completely if the door is left open for an extended period of time. The exact duration will differ from one model to the next (test your oven to see how long it takes for the burners to turn off when the oven door is opened, i.e., 60, 90 seconds.) Some ovens turn off after as little as two seconds. ….These functions are not disabled even if the oven has a functioning “Sabbath Mode.” This statement is false: Star-K certified ovens with Sabbath Mode have a delay of at least 15 seconds or more between the time the door is opened/closed and the time the element shuts off or turns on.
- On page 43, in the discussion of compressors, the article states: “Even the slightest change in temperature will cause a change in the speed of the compressor; simply opening the door for one second will cause the compressor to pump faster.” As far as we know, nothing will change within “one second.”
- On page 43, a “specially designed plug-in timer such as one developed by Zman Technologies, which is recommended by the OU, that toggles the refrigerator on and off, thus enabling one to use their refrigerator when the power is off without any halachic issues.” The author neglects to mention that use of this type of timer could potentially damage the normal functioning of the refrigerator, and might invalidate their warranty. Consumers need to check with the manufacturer before installing a timer.
- On page 45, the article references the Frigidaire FGHN2866 French Door Refrigerator. The chart states that “The defrost heater works with an adaptive defrost system, even in Sabbath Mode.” This is not true. All our certified refrigerators run the defrost cycle on straight clock time when in the Sabbath Mode. The consumer has NO influence on the defrost operation.
Please note that this article was written to present a worst case scenario with modern appliances. It would have been better if the reader was told that many ovens can be bought without door switches or even computer control altogether. In addition, the reader should have been told that the still available coil cook tops do not have computer control and many of the glass tops also do not.
As always, before purchasing an appliance, consumers need to check the STAR-K website regarding current models and how they may or may not be used on the Sabbath and Yom Tov.
For the most up-to-date information regarding alerts, companies, and specific models of ovens and refrigerators under STAR-K certification, please visit the STAR-K website, http://www.star-k.org/, or call 410-484-4110.
[TLS]
The major issue which needs to be addressed is the computer control which involves Chillul Shabbos d’Oraisa. This was investigated by electrical engineers in Eretz Yisroel who presented their findings to the Gedolei Haposkim and received a clear, unanimous and unequivocal psak that causing electrical messages to move through the appliance’s circuit and be stored in the computer’s chips is prohibited on Shabbos and Yom Tov.
This problem can be solved either with a reliable timer where you use the appliance only when there is no electrical power flowing through the plug, or with a certified Hetken Hashabbos which was developed by Mishmeres Hashabbos in Eretz Yisroel.
The Eidah Hacharedis developed their own line of products which are similarly designed to be used on Shabbos and Yom Tov in ‘dumb’ mode with the computer disabled and unfortunately are not available in the US.
how can one trust a hashgacha that had 3 major recalls with chilul shabbos doraysa in the last week. please post the models that are affected with the letters from the star-k so lakewood can make an informed decision. in addition the star-k has never had any independent testing done on their models. the proof is in the sabbath modes the were not kosher.
With all due respect to the star K the reality is in the past two weeks alone they recalled THOUSANDS of Bosch and LG ranges due to the gas shutting off when the door is opened. It’s apparent that they never independently test the product before giving a hechsher. Instead of putting out that information to the public they notified the retailers to contact their customers.
as far as concern no. 3 the assumption is that any timer marketed by a professional company with a hechsher such as Zman Technologies comes along with pretty extensive testing and design modification to ensure that no damage will be caused to the fridge.
why should an external device have any effect on the warrantee?
btw-are there any timers for ovens?
Umm… Gentlemen this a a Lakewood website so no am haaratzus should be tolerated
So…
1. No melacha doraysa is involved in computer control.. Maybe a nice chumra but if you are makpid don’t walk outside on shabbos the are too many Cameras and sensors around
2. A recall is an honest thing… Scares me more when the are NEVER issues.
3. Whatever your taynos the point of inaccuracies is a reality.. More intra agency politics ..
4. We all know this is R Moshe Heinemann’s pet project. We know he is a talmid of the Risk yeshiva zt”l and is ehrlach. Mistakes abound.. We even mage then in Lakewood… No need for vitriol
the LG problem that tzvi herman mentioned is not posted on star-k sight
@Hi – I wonder if you have done your research before commenting.
There is definitely an issue of d’orayssa with computer systems and even more so in refrigerators. Not just a chumra.
Rav Shlomo Miller holds this. So did Rav Yisrael Belsky zt’l and many others… Who did the proper research…
To hi
The stark K range recall is due to when you open the door the switch shuts the burner off and when you close the door the door switch turns the burner back on. I may be wrong but closing a switch that turns on a fire would be doraysah
לא תבערו אש בכל מושבותיכם ביום השבת
The star K sent the appliance retails a notice today regarding the LG ranges.
rom: Rivka Leah Fisher [mailto:[email protected]]
Cc: ‘[email protected]’
Subject: LG Appliances Update
We have been advised that all LG Star-K certified ovens have a delay when you open the door before the oven shuts off; however, when you close the door, the oven turns on immediately. Please consider these ranges, both gas and electric, de-certified until further notice.
Rivka Leah Fisher
Database Support Specialist
122 Slade Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21209
410-484-4110 x.220
443 334 0137
[email protected]
Watch our new short educational film
“The STAR-K Advantage” by clicking here
STAR-K Certification Inc.
122 Slade Avenue, Suite 300
Baltimore, MD 21208
Tel: 410-484-4110
Fax: 410-653-9294
http://www.star-k.org
the star K should put an ad in the newspapers when there is a problem this is like selling treif in a store
this is from the star k site under alerts
Bosch Cooking Products UPDATE
March 16, 2016
Please note the following about the Bosch HGI8054UC and HGIP054UC models of slide-in gas ranges: The oven’s heating source shuts off immediately when the door is opened and re-ignites when it is closed, even when the oven is in Sabbath Mode.
Consumers are advised not to open or close the oven door on Shabbos or YomTov while the oven is on.
If you own one of these models, please contact [email protected] or call Bosch customer service at 800-944-2904. Please provide your name, phone number, and email address, so that the company can coordinate service. Bosch will schedule a service appointment to repair the affected models free of charge. The manufacturer is working on a fix to be provided, hopefully, before Passover. Updates will be posted on our website.
Bosch Cooking Products UPDATE
March 16, 2016
Please note the following about the Bosch HGI8054UC and HGIP054UC models of slide-in gas ranges: The oven’s heating source shuts off immediately when the door is opened and re-ignites when it is closed, even when the oven is in Sabbath Mode.
Consumers are advised not to open or close the oven door on Shabbos or YomTov while the oven is on.
If you own one of these models, please contact [email protected] or call Bosch customer service at 800-944-2904. Please provide your name, phone number, and email address, so that the company can coordinate service. Bosch will schedule a service appointment to repair the affected models free of charge. The manufacturer is working on a fix to be provided, hopefully, before Passover. Updates will be posted on our website.
Regarding the change in speed of the compressor in the new refrigerators (variable speed compressor) the star K writes
“As far as we know, nothing will change within “one second.”
I have been to whirlpool spring tech training and I asked the engineer this exact question ” how could I test the inverter DC output? Meaning how could test to see if the compressor speeds up or slows down. This is what his reply ” the compressor runs between a minimum speed of 1650 RPM to max speed of 4500 RPM the speed is controlled by a computer called an inverter board. The board sends voltage to the compressor through a pulse width modulated signal, meaning it not a constant flow of electricity rather it alternates between two circuits. This makes it impossible to test the output of the inverter. The only way to diagnose a variable speed compressor is to test 120ACV line voltage to the inverter and 4.3DCV from the main control and to make sure the resistance in both compressor circuits are the same amount of OHMS. All these reading will NOT fluctuate based on the refrigerator tempter therefor it’s IMPOSSIBLE to test how fast the compressor would change speeds.
MY QUESTION IS IF WHIRLPOOL ENGINEERS ARE SAYING ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO TEST HOW DOES THE “STAR K ENGINEER” ASSUME THAT THERE IS NO INSTANT SPEED CHANGE?
Many poskim have grappled with the sugya of electricity. Rav Shlomo Zalman zt”l told his talmidim that even though he does not understand the Chazon Ish zt”l, still anyone who is rules leniently is a קל דעת.
Today with computers which involve transistors and logic circuits, which are not well understood by many who are only basically familiar with the old refrigerator models, the issues are הבערה, בונה, מכה בפטיש.
Rav Yaakov Forcheimer shlit”a says over from Harav Yaakov Kamenetsky zt”l that as a rule one should refrain from touching electrical equipment on Shabbos. Harav Yisroel Belsky zt”l writes in the name of Harav Yaakov Kamenetsky zt”l that electricity is for sure אסור and the question was just to identify from which מלאכה.
It is a known fact that both Harav Yaakov Kamenetsky zt”l and Harav Moshe Feinstein zt”l had their fridges running on Shabbos clocks.
The Rosh Yeshiva zt”l in שו”ת משנת רבי אהרן prohibits to open a fridge on Shabbos, and writes that even closing the refrigerator when the compressor is operating is also a problem. In that teshuva he is clearly מחלק between an appliance and an entire house, so certainly there is a difference between a refrigerator/oven and an outdoor camera.
@Tomer Devorah – you seem to be fluent in refrigerators in shabbos. Question : Do you think the above mentioned timer from Zman Technologies covers all these problems??
To youngerman. Zman technologies works a regulate timer. It shuts your refrigerator off on intervals. Absolutely no halachic issue with opening your refrigerator when it’s shut off.
Many of the new ovens can be diagnosed over the phone and the company can connect with the appliance through a wireless connection. The next step is that anyone can establish a remote connection to their appliance with a smartphone app. All this is possible because the appliance’s on-board computer is monitoring the appliance’s sensors 24/7. Even when the appliance is powered down in OFF position the computer checks if the door is open or closed.
So basically when you are opening, closing or causing changes to the appliance’s temperature and humidity, this change is immediately recorded in the computer to be used in the next re-calculation of commands and functions.
All this is a problem on Shabbos. This data is important for the appliance to operate [try cutting the wire of a sensor and see what happens] and you are basically doing data entry at your own mini-computer which is installed inside your appliance. To cause data to be entered in any computer chip whether in an MP3, refrigerator, oven or smartphone even if there is no active display is a question of a d’Oraisa on Shabbos.
To Tomer Devora,
I honestly wonder where you got your information from, Isn’t R’ Moshe famous for not using timers for appliances on Shabbos, it’s hard for me to imagine that he himself had his refirdg, running on a timer on Shabbos. Furthermore, R” Dovid Feinstein paskened, my chabuura heard from him first hand, that although there is a machlokes between the Chazon Ish and R’ Moshe regarding the shaila, if one is allowed to open a refridg, on Shabbos, but for someone who abided by the psak of R’ Moshe, (which is also the psak of R’ Simcha Zelig, The dayan in Brisk), that it’s mutar to open your fridge on Shabbos, then even though it is true that today’s electronic sensors to create some change in the electrical currents, but it’s a minute change, and therefore has no effect on the psak, and it’s mutar lechatchila.