Are you allowed to adjust the oven temperature on Yom Tov? Well, according to some Poskim, oven temperatures can be adjusted depending on the type of oven. The Star-K has approved a series of ovens in which the temperature may be adjusted on Yom Tov. For those who hold that oven temperature can be adjusted, here is an alternative method that you can install on your oven that mechanically adjusts your oven temperature.

If your manual control oven were to break, it is extremely hard these days to replace it with a similar model. Most ovens today are electronically controlled and come with a "Shabbos mode". A "Shabbos mode" oven enables the oven to continuously stay on for 3 days to enable the observant Jew to cook or warm up food during a 3-day Yom Tov and Shabbos.

The Star-K Kashrus Organization approved "Shabbos mode" ovens allows for the pressing of an up/down control switch on the front panel to manage the temperature of the oven.

Many observant Jews are not comfortable utilizing this leniency and would much prefer to not adjust the oven temperature on Yom Tov. Other observant Jews whose Posek permits them to make adjustments to the oven temperature will only utilize a mechanical interface and not an electronic interface. See Rav Avraham Blumenkrantz's, zt'l, description in his Laws of Pesach - a Digest. (Click on a thumbnail below to start a slideshow.)

Reb Chaim has invented a gadget, called, "The Tweaker", that mechanically interfaces with an electronically-controlled Shabbos mode oven.

Rabbinic Approvals

The Tweaker was initially approved by Rav Zushe Blech of Monsey, NY, now has the written approval by Rav Yisroel Belsky, shlita, of the Orthodox Union, and

Rabbi Peretz Moncharsh, of Revach.net was asked to review the design and this is his endorsement.

How the Tweaker Works

This is how it works:

Reb Chaim proposes a list of 10 questions to ask your LOR (Local Orthodox Rabbi) should you be interested in using his device.

Reb Chaim, makes the invention design freely available to all yidden (to build and use at their own risk) and would also make it available to any appliance manufacturer or kashrus agency that might want to
incorporate it, with the only request that it be used in the merit of his father, Avraham ben Betzalel z"l, and his grandfather Nussin ben Shimon HaKohen z"l.

This invention is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Contact us for inquiries regarding commercial use of this design.

Click on a thumbnail to view slideshow.