Safety warning for Yom Tov (a major holiday)
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
My husband and I jumped out of bed, and he ran to the kitchen. Seeing nothing there other than the flames of the four burners that we'd left on for Pesach (Passover)--it's permissible to cook on a Yom Tov using a pre-existing flame--he grabbed the nearest chair, brought it over to the safety alarms attached to the ceiling outside our bedroom, and climbed up for a closer look.
"It's not the smoke detector, it's the carbon monoxide detector."
"Open the living room window!"
In the interest of ensuring our survival (pikuach nefesh), not only did my husband open the living room window, he also turned on the kitchen ceiling fan and the fan in the stove hood, which I'd forgotten to turn on before Yom Tov. (At least I'd remembered to leave the kitchen window open, but we learned the hard way that that wasn't enough.) Within about a minute, the beeping stopped. To be extra safe, he also opened the bedroom window by about an inch, and we both went back to bed, quite literally saved by the, er, beep.
If you leave stove lights burning on a Yom Tov, be sure to leave more than one window open, and, if available, leave at least one fan turned on, to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, which is deadly!
And don't forget to leave an open box of baking soda and/or a home fire extinguisher within easy reach in the kitchen!
Also, make sure that you have a kosher-for-Passover ice cube tray and know where to find it, so that you can treat minor, but painful, burns!
My husband and I jumped out of bed, and he ran to the kitchen. Seeing nothing there other than the flames of the four burners that we'd left on for Pesach (Passover)--it's permissible to cook on a Yom Tov using a pre-existing flame--he grabbed the nearest chair, brought it over to the safety alarms attached to the ceiling outside our bedroom, and climbed up for a closer look.
"It's not the smoke detector, it's the carbon monoxide detector."
"Open the living room window!"
In the interest of ensuring our survival (pikuach nefesh), not only did my husband open the living room window, he also turned on the kitchen ceiling fan and the fan in the stove hood, which I'd forgotten to turn on before Yom Tov. (At least I'd remembered to leave the kitchen window open, but we learned the hard way that that wasn't enough.) Within about a minute, the beeping stopped. To be extra safe, he also opened the bedroom window by about an inch, and we both went back to bed, quite literally saved by the, er, beep.
If you leave stove lights burning on a Yom Tov, be sure to leave more than one window open, and, if available, leave at least one fan turned on, to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, which is deadly!
And don't forget to leave an open box of baking soda and/or a home fire extinguisher within easy reach in the kitchen!
Also, make sure that you have a kosher-for-Passover ice cube tray and know where to find it, so that you can treat minor, but painful, burns!
posted by Shira Salamone at 11:48 PM
6 Comments:
I don't believe what I just read. You left the burners on for Yom Tov?!?!?
1. Unplug your stove. This will prevent the electronic ignition from turning on when you turn on a burner.
2. Light a hannukah candle from burning yahrzeit lamp (transferred flame)
3. Turn on burner you plan to use and light from hannukah candle.
4. Turn burner off when done cooking.
Richardf8, it's been decades since I've lit a gas flame with a fire, and I confess to being quite chicken. Aside from that, though, is it permissible (mutar) to extinguish a flame on a Yom Tov?
I think it is probably not.
Nor is it permissible to "test Adonai, your God" And "Choose life" is a positive commandment.
So you have a choice, extinguish the flame on Yom Tov, calling it Pikuach Nefesh, or eat Chicken Salad.
Halachah does not require you to do stupid stuff that can get you killed; rather it takes a dim view of it.
You'd think that after those kids died in Brooklyn, you'd show a little more sechel than to leave stove burners burning through Yom Tov.
Sorry if I'm coming off harsh, but you nearly got yourself and, possibly your neighbors killed for the sake of a hot Yom Tov meal.
BTW, if you haven't guessed, this is Reform Baal T'shuvah.
Re the tragic deaths of those kids in Brooklyn, you will note that we have both a working smoke detector and a working carbon monoxide detector, which the fire victims in Brooklyn did not, unfortunately.
That said, we may have to reconsider our current practice.
I think that would be wise. Thanks for listening.
I have UL reviewed, plug-in electric burners for Yom Tov. They cost $20-$30 each, I don't mind burning them off across 49 - 73 hours. I keep them away from walls to avoid any risk of fire.
Mucking with candles and gas on Yom Tov? No thank you.
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