On the Sabbath, the oven door may only be opened once, all the food removed, and then closed. On the Holidays, the oven door may be opened/closed at any time as often as desired.
On the Holidays, the temperature may be adjusted (but not initiated or turned off) at any time following the instructions in the owner's manual (because there is a delay between the request and implementation).
On the Holidays, raising the temperature is not permitted because there is no indication when power is on to the heating elements. Lowering the temperature is permitted when necessary for food preparation.
Yep, that's craziness - either that, or a mistranslation of "heating elements" from the original Old Testament Hebrew.
Mass silliness.
I wonder what the Jerusalem hospitals' ER procedures are on the Sabbath? Can the emergency doctors do anything? Do ambulances even pull up to the doors, or is that considered "work"?
Archaic silliness, yes. IMHO And frankly, I don't think God really cares a heck of a lot, or is offended very much, about oven operation on any given day.
Well, since many of those rules were writen by God Himself, you could always take it up with Him, rather than His obedient followers.
As a general rule, the Orthodox waive rules, when it's a matter of preserving health or life. The rules are supposed to demonstrate obedience, not be a suicide pact.
Well, I asked someone else the same question: it's awfully easy for you to ridicule, but given the Pentateuch, what would you expect them to do instead: just ignore the ones that seemed ambiguous (or undesirable) and figure out ways to work around the others?
If so, the American Episcopal church would love to have you!
<muslim mode> AAAYYYYEEEEEEEE!!!!!
Oh, you just insulted my beliefs! You have HYOOO-MEEEL-EEE-AYTED me! You have ridiculed the Holy Torah!
Just for that, I will get all my neighbors together to riot, rampage and mass murder for days on end. </muslim mode off>
Takes deep breath.
Why automatically ridicule something just because you don't understand it?
I wonder what the Jerusalem hospitals' ER procedures are on the Sabbath? Can the emergency doctors do anything? Do ambulances even pull up to the doors, or is that considered "work"?
<sabbath mode on> Israeli hospitals operate at full capacity 24/7. There are many excellent Shomer Shabbat hospitals in Israel, the most well-known is Laniado Hospital of Netanya.
"And frankly, I don't think God really cares a heck of a lot, or is offended very much, about oven operation on any given day."
Upon learning of the rules and tradition behind these oven guidelines, I'm inclined to agree.
I'm in big trouble if God does 'care' about such frivolities.
It's commemoration of the creation of the world.
G-d ceased his labors on the seventh day, and refraining from creative and productive tasks one day a week, and focusing instead on the spiritual facets of life, is a way of remembering that. And it is something that would benefit everyone, not just Jews.
Saving and preserving life is an exception to the Sabbath, from what I understand.
Don't be silly. Saving a life on Shabbat is not only allowed, it's commanded.
Do you have nothing better to do than insert yourself into this thread by insulting religious Jews? Talk about "silliness". It is idiotic to suggest that Israeli doctors would let people die over Sabbath. The rules that Orthodox Jews follow come out of a love and devotion to God, not out of hysteria. All religions, Christianity included, have customs and restrictions regarding religious holidays. Christians revere the Torah and are not so flippant about ridiculing the customs therein. Moreover, over 70% of Orthadox Jews voted for Bush and support the same issues that conservative Christians do. These are not Muslim drones who kill their sisters for "honor" after they are raped. They deserve better than your ridicule.