Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach's Last Ruling on the Crockpot

Supposedly, the last ruling that Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt”l, gave in his life is that crockpots may not be used on Shabbos because of this very issue. This ruling is cited in Minchas Shlomo, Shulchan Shlomo, Meorei Aish, and in the Torah journal Moriah. In 1995, this caused a major controversy. Shabbos observant families had been using crockpots for years. Some switched to a different appliance where the pot rests on a hot plate specifically made for it. This is now commercially sold as the West Bend slow cooker. There is no issue of hatmana with the West Bend because the pot is not covered at all. It simply rests on a heating element. Some advise users of the original crockpot to place a stone on the bottom. This will raise the insert to a point where hatamana won’t be an issue.

It is interesting to note that the author of Meor Shabbos testified that Rav Shlomo Zalman wrote to him that a crockpot is indeed permitted to be used on Shabbos. Therefore the Meor Shabbos subsequently wrote an additional letter to Rav Shlomo Zalman to clarify reports that he changed his opinion. Alas, the letter was on Rav Shlomo Zalman’s table when he slipped into a coma from which he never recovered. The Meor Shabbos insists that Rav Shlomo Zalman’s son confirmed that he was indeed lenient. Nevertheless, it has been accepted that Rav Shlomo Zalman, zt”l, was machmir.