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Refrigerators on Shabbos: Difference between revisions

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In refrigerators with a compressor only, there were three opinions in the poskim if it was allowed to be opened on Shabbos:
In refrigerators with a compressor only, there were three opinions in the poskim if it was allowed to be opened on Shabbos:
# The refrigerator is not allowed to be opened on Shabbos at all. <ref>Rav Nissim Karelitz (Chut Shani Shabbat v. 1, p. 199) quotes the Chazon Ish as ruling that it is forbidden to open a refrigerator even if the compressor is already running. He explains that since there is a concern of a potential Biblical prohibition if it isn't already running. He doesn't consider this to be a dvar sheino mitchaven since it is theoretically possible to ascertain if the compressor will turn on upon opening the refrigerator (see Taz 316:3 regarding the definition of a pesik reisha). Furthermore, he says that it is forbidden to open the refrigerator when the compressor is running since it is likely to come to a prohibition if a person would open it at the wrong time. </ref>
# The refrigerator is not allowed to be opened on Shabbos at all. <ref>Rav Nissim Karelitz (Chut Shani Shabbat v. 1, p. 199) quotes the Chazon Ish as ruling that it is forbidden to open a refrigerator even if the compressor is already running. He explains that since there is a concern of a potential biblical prohibition if it isn't already running. He doesn't consider this to be a dvar sheino mitchaven since it is theoretically possible to ascertain if the compressor will turn on upon opening the refrigerator (see Taz 316:3 regarding the definition of a pesik reisha). Furthermore, he says that it is forbidden to open the refrigerator when the compressor is running since it is likely to come to a prohibition if a person would open it at the wrong time. </ref>
# The refrigerator was allowed to be opened only while the compressor was running so that letting the warm air in would not directly activate it.<ref>Rav Yosef Henkin ([http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=2274&st=&pgnum=123 Edut L'Yisrael p. 122]) writes that one should be strict to only open the refrigerator when the compressor is already running even though he feels that the primary halacha is that there's melacha involved with causing the compressor to begin (see Edut L'Yisrael pp. 151-4). In explaining why it should be permitted to open the refrigerator when the compressor isn't running he writes that since the melacha doesn't occur immediately (grama) and is physically disconnected from where he acted it isn't considered as though he did any melacha. He considers this better than a pesik reisha and considers it not to be a melacha at all just like closing the door of a house in which a candle is burning and will burn longer once the door is closed. Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igrot Moshe OC 2:68) writes that it is good to be strict only to open the refrigerator when the compressor is running like Rav Henkin. See, however, Igrot Moshe (4:74 Bishul no. 28) and [http://koltorah.org/ravj/Opening_Refrigerators_on_Shabbat_1.html "Opening Refrigerators on Shabbat" by Rabbi Jachter].</ref>
# The refrigerator was allowed to be opened only while the compressor was running so that letting the warm air in would not directly activate it.<ref>Rav Yosef Henkin ([http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=2274&st=&pgnum=123 Edut L'Yisrael p. 122]) writes that one should be strict to only open the refrigerator when the compressor is already running even though he feels that the primary halacha is that there's melacha involved with causing the compressor to begin (see Edut L'Yisrael pp. 151-4). In explaining why it should be permitted to open the refrigerator when the compressor isn't running he writes that since the melacha doesn't occur immediately (grama) and is physically disconnected from where he acted it isn't considered as though he did any melacha. He considers this better than a pesik reisha and considers it not to be a melacha at all just like closing the door of a house in which a candle is burning and will burn longer once the door is closed. Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igrot Moshe OC 2:68) writes that it is good to be strict only to open the refrigerator when the compressor is running like Rav Henkin. See, however, Igrot Moshe (4:74 Bishul no. 28) and [http://koltorah.org/ravj/Opening_Refrigerators_on_Shabbat_1.html "Opening Refrigerators on Shabbat" by Rabbi Jachter].</ref>
# The refrigerator could be opened even when the compressor was not running.<ref>Minchat Shlomo 1:10</ref>
# The refrigerator could be opened even when the compressor was not running.<ref>Minchat Shlomo 1:10</ref>


'''See the discussion of modern refrigerators on the'''
See the discussion of '''Today's refrigerators''' on the [[Talk:Refrigerators on Shabbos|discussion page]].
[['''Talk:Refrigerators on Shabbos|discussion page''']].
[[Category: Shabbat]]
[[Category: Shabbat]]
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