In their recent Shabbos Hagodol droshos, Halachic authorities and rabbonim throughout the country have aroused public awareness regarding Shabbos violations in the use of new refrigerators. Each opening and closing of the doors, they noted, causes electrical changes and digital registrations.
Older Shabbos arrangements that were made on older models were focused on the action of the cooling compressors with the opening of the door and several other issues.
This was good enough for those older electrical appliances. However, the newer models are equipped with digital temperature sensors which measure the temperature inside the refrigerator at every given moment and transmit the data to a control card registering all electrical and digital changes.
When someone opens or closes the refrigerator door of such an appliance, he immediately causes a direct change in the electrical and digital registration of the sensors which is immediately registered on the control card. These are not at all circumvented or neutralized by the older type of Shabbos control mechanisms. They may involved Shabbos violations by themselves and they also have a very direct impact on various aspects of the operation of the refrigerator.
Rabbonim of Mishmeres HaShabbos have relayed that one halachic acceptable solution for the use of those appliances on Shabbos is to connect them through a Shabbos clock which connects and disconnects them from the electrical current. The refrigerators may be opened when the current is completely shut off.
Alternately, one can also install a superior device which totally neutralizes the effect of the user upon the digital activities on Shabbos and operates the refrigerators or freezers according to a variety of predetermined programs which can be set before Shabbos. It should be noted that most companies allow for such Shabbos installments within their guarantee.
For information on the various uses of electric appliances on Shabbos, we refer the readers to the Mishmeres HaShabbos office at tel. 072-2164422. Fax: 072-2164423. Email: a0722164422@gmail.com
A detailed explanatory pamphlet (in Hebrew) is available upon request from: chashmal052@gmail.com
