HALACHOS OF HADLOKAS NEIROS SHEL SHABBOS; SHABBOS CANDLES
LECHEM MISHNEH: SPECIAL DOUBLE PORTION L'KAVOD SHABBOS KODESH
Halachos for Erev Shabbos Kodesh
1) The main Mitzvah of Neiros Shabbos is to have them lit and standing on or near the table during the Shabbos evening meal as to derive pleasure from their light. (See Rama Siman 263:10 and Mishna Berura S"K 45)
Some have the custom to light the candles on a shelf on the south side of the room where the Seudah is being eaten. (See Kaf HaChaim Siman 263:68)
2) Aside from the candles near the table, there is an obligation to have light (candles or any source of light including electric lamps suffice) in all areas in the home that will be used over Shabbos in order to ensure that nobody stumbles or otherwise gets hurt due to darkness, and thereby disturb the harmony in the home (Shalom Bayis). (See Rashi to Shabbos 25b Dibur Hamaschil Chovah, Aruch HaShulchan Siman 263:3 and Mishna Berura Siman 263 S"K 2)
Halachos for Shabbos Kodesh
1) The candles on or near the table should be long enough so that they remain lit for the duration of the Seudah. (See Derech Hachaim page 78)
Thus it is important to buy extra-long candles for the Pesach Seder, the eve of Simchas Torah and any other times when the Shabbos or Yom Tov Seudah extends later into the night than usual.
The light in the other areas of the home should remain lit at least until the members of the household go to sleep for the night. (See Shu"t Az Nidberu Vol. 3 Siman 3 and K'Tzos Hashulchan Siman 74)
2) If it is usual for members of the household to get up during the night to learn Torah, feed a baby, use the restroom or for any other reasons, it is proper to ensure that the lights remain on in those areas where they will use, for the entire night. (See Shu"t Az Nidberu ibid. quoting the Ben Ish Chai in Shu"t Rav P'alim Orach Chaim Vol. 4 Siman 30)
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QUESTION & ANSWER CORNER
Reader Submitted Questions of interest on topics related to Halachos we covered, as well as other interesting topic and Answers.
These Q&A are taken from the Q & A pages on the Halacha For Today website.
Although the answers I give to questions are taken directly from the Sifrei HaPoskim, and aren't my own, they are still for study purposes only, NOT for Psak Halacha.
Questions can be emailed to HalachaForToday@Gmail.com
Reader's Question:
I was just wondering if you could explain waiting 6 hours between fleishig (meat) and milchig (dairy).
Is this a minhag or actual halacha?
And what is the difference of opinions regarding waiting 1 hour or any other waiting period. And is it necessary to wait between milchig and fleishig or is washing your mouth out sufficient?
Also, why do we wait 6 hours? Does it have anything to do with how long it takes to digest the meat
Answer:
The requirement to wait six hours is a halacha in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah Siman 89:1.
The Rama writes that the custom in Germany was to wait only one hour, but concludes that those who are scrupulous in Mitzvah observance should wait six hours.
The almost universally accepted custom is to indeed follow the stringent ruling and wait six hours. Those of Dutch or German descent who indeed have the custom to wait 1 or 3 hours respectively, may follow their familial custom, but one who does not have this lenient custom should not rely on it. See Aruch HaShulchan Siman 89:7 and Shach to Shulchan Aruch ibid.
Some Poskim maintained that once in the sixth hour, it would already be permitted to eat dairy, thus some people wait either 5 hours and 1 minute, or five hours and 31 minutes (a majority of the sixth hour). Again, if one has this custom he may follow it, otherwise stick to six full hours.
After drinking milk, the mouth should be rinsed and then meat may be eaten immediately.
After eating cheese or cheese products, a parve solid food should be eaten and the mouth rinsed out and half an hour waited, and the hands washed before eating meat.
Some people have the custom to wait half an hour before eating meat, even after milk.
After eating hard cheeses (Cheeses that were aged for six months and thus have fatty residue; Consult your Rav or Kashrus agency to determine which cheeses fall into this category, as there are many varying opinions regarding today's cheeses), a full six hours must be waited before eating meat.
If the hard cheese was melted into another food, such as lasagne, according to many Poskim you no longer must wait six hours before eating meat. Some Poskim maintain that even after melting it still requires a six hour wait
The "six hours" was the amount of time between the day meal and the evening meal, in the time of Chazal. (See Talmud shabbos 10a and Biur HaGra Yoreh Deah Siman 89:2)
CHIZUK CORNER
This section is dedicated L'Ilui Nishmos the Telzer Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Chaim Yaakov Stein Zatzal and the Mir Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Noson Tzvi Finkel Zatzal. May we all strive to follow in their ways and may they both be Melitzei Yosher for all of Klal Yisroel.
We will B'Ezras Hashem post here each day a short inspirational thought to help us all improve our lives and grow in our service of our Father in heaven, HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL FOR THIS SECTION, PLEASE EMAIL IT TO HalachaForToday@Gmail.com
THANK YOU AND תזכו למצות!
זכר צדיקים וקדושים לברכה
To love Hashem you have to climb up a ladder.
The ladder has many rungs, one after the other, and you can't afford to skip any rungs. You need all of them. You have to utilize all the motivations that are possible to find. Unfortunately, even good people are not aware that motivations are necessary.
Everybody knows that you should love Hashem without any ulterior motives: "Al tihiyu k'avadim hamishamshim es harav al mnas likabel pras--Don't be like servants who serve in order to receive a reward."
So therefore I'm going to love Hashem because He gives me my daily food? That's not love of Hashem. The answer is, it is! You're making a big mistake. You cannot afford to ignore this subject of motivation.
Every human being as long as he's alive in this world is obligated to have an attitude of affection for his Creator. It makes no difference what color he is, what race he belongs to. There's no question that havu la'Hashem mispachos amim, all the nations, the families of the nations, are obligated to praise Hashem.
Havu la'Hashem kavod va'oz, you have to speak to Hashem and thank Him, and that's one of the very first steps in the great process of coming to love Hashem.
Everybody, even an Eskimo in his igloo, has to look out of his window at the snow and say baruch atah Hashem that you gave snow, nosein sheleg ka'tzamar, He gives snow like wool.
Snow is like wool, an Eskimo knows it.
He packs snow over his igloo and the snow keeps him warm. Inside there's a fire, but the frost will come in, so he packs snow around it and the snow is like wool. Wool costs money, snow is cheap.
From a talk by HaRav Avigdor Miller Zatzal; Taken from www.Simchashachaim.com
Important Numbers
