Eric Meyer on his new oven’s Sabbath Mode So when the oven is in Sabbath mode, you input the temperature and cook time you want. Then you press start, and for a random amount of time that ranges from 30 seconds to a minute, nothing happens. Then the oven kicks on. Ta-daaa! Indirect action! Sure, you pressed all those buttons, but the random time delay is enough to get around your religion’s restrictions on Sabbath work. It’s all, pardon the term, kosher.