Apology after ovens break Shabbat rules
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THE MANUFACTURER of Bosch, Neff and Siemens electronic ovens has apologised to customers who have purchased models which have been found not to be Shabbat or festival compliant.
Because of a new safety feature, the ovens now automatically switch off their heating elements when the oven door is opened. Therefore, anyone opening the door would breach the prohibition against turning electricity on or off.
The Federation of Synagogues’ Fedtech department has issued a warning over the situation and said it was “working closely” with BSH Home Appliances Limited, which manufactures the brands, to find a solution.
Fedtech director Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Guttentag said those with the updated models may not have initially realised the oven was turning off because the heating elements might still be glowing.
“We have fielded a tremendous volume of calls from people who have the ovens.” It would not be practical to use the ovens on Yomtov. But on Shabbat, it would be possible to wire a time-switch into the oven socket and set it to turn the oven off before the door was opened.
BSH said it understood “the importance of following the Sabbath and would like to offer our sincere apologies”.
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