Answer by Rabbi Chaim Hillel Raskin – Rov in Kfar Chabad Beis, Israel:
The Torah permits food-related melachos that have a direct effect on the food to be done on yom tov, but not preliminary steps (machshirin, e.g. sharpening a knife) that could have been done before yom tov. Chazal forbade even food-related melachos that are usually done for many days at once (e.g. grinding wheat).
Additionally, any cooking that could be done earlier without compromising the taste of the food should be done before yom tov (e.g. Jell-O), and otherwise needs to be done in a different manner than usual (shinui). Most food, however, is tastier when freshly made.
Some hold that igniting a fire on yom tov is considered a preliminary step and thus prohibited min haTorah. However, many poskim, including the Alter Rebbe, rule that it is an actual food melacha which is permitted min haTorah, and it is only rabbinically prohibited since one is “creating” a new entity (molid) and since it could have been done before yom tov (even if in the specific situation it couldn’t have been).
Yet, one may transfer fire from an existing flame, even in cases that it could have been done before yom tov, since one is not creating a “new” entity, and the fire has a direct effect on the food. If a new fire was ignited, it may be used after the fact.
It is rabbinically prohibited to have a gentile do a melacha for us on Shabbos or yom tov (amira l’nochri).
Yet, if the melacha is only rabbinically prohibited, it is a shevus deshvus (double derabanan) which is permitted for mitzva purposes, for a sick person, in cases of great need or to prevent a big loss. Poskim add that simchas yom tov can also allow shevus deshvus.
Thus, when needed, one is allowed to have a gentile turn on the fire on yom tov (a rabbinical prohibition) to enable him to cook food for his yom tov meal. (This is usually considered either a great need, for the mitzva of seudas yom tov, and for simchas yom tov).
Similarly, one may have a gentile light a fire in order to enable lighting the yom tov candles.
Although in these cases it is permitted to tell the gentile directly what to do on yom tov, one should try when possible to use a hint to avoid discussing forbidden matters on yom tov (vedaber davar).
Published in the Weekly Farbrengen email by Merkaz Anash. See Sources
i was told it is permitted, had the same story, fire wasnt working so i was permitted to ask a goy to turn on another fire, only yomtov though
Everything and everywhere on a store shelf is treif? According to this article!
Thats why everything needs to he precooked so if the goy turns on the fire just to heat up the already cookd food athen its ok?
In a restaurant the non Jew puts the food in the oven, so a jew needs to light the fire.
However if the non Jew lights the fire, a jew needs to put the food in the oven.
In summary the Jew needs to partake in making the food, either through turning on the fire, or putting food the food in the oven.
Here your cooking so it’s ok for the none jew to turn on the for, I a restaurant where the non Jew is cooking, a new most turn on the for.
Is a non Jew allowed to turn on candle and then you can use that candle to light the stove or are you saying that a NJ can turn on the stove?
Is there a difference between fire and electric?
i heard if a non Jew turn on the stove the food is considered non kosher , that’s why in restaurants you always have the mashgiach starting the fire
So if this is done in exceptions means is ok ? I lost my electrical power on Yom Tov and I asked if a gentile can turn on the stove and told me no , anyway would like to heard more