HALACHOS OF HADLOKAS NEIROS SHEL SHABBOS; SHABBOS CANDLES
1) In the event that there is no woman present in the home to light, the man of the house is obligated to light Shabbos candles.
If an older daughter, above the age of Bas Mitzvah, is present in the home there is a debate amongst the Poskim as to who takes precedence, the man of the house, as it is his obligation, or his daughter, as she is a female and this mitzvah is traditionally performed by females when possible.
Rav Moshe Feinstein Zatzal rules that the man of the house takes precedence. (Ruling quoted in "The Radiance of Shabbos" by Rav Simcha Bunim Cohen Shlita, page 7. See also Shmiras Shabbos K'Hilchaso Perek 43 footnote 46)
Other Poskim maintain that either one of them can light the main candles and recite the Bracha and exempt the other one, and the other should kindle the lights in the other rooms of the home as those are also a component of the Mitzvah. (Ruling of Rav Nissim Karelitz Shlita quoted in Or Haner Perek 1:4 footnote 25)
2) A girl below the age of Bas Mitzvah may not exempt the household with the lighting of Shabbos candles. (See Shulchan Aruch Siman 675:3 and Shmiras Shabbos K'Hilchaso Perek 43:48)
Thus, even in those homes where the custom is for all the girls to light their own Shabbos candles, as is the Chabad minhag and as was the custom in various communities in pre-war Europe, still if the mother or older daughter is not present, the man of the house will need to light and he cannot rely on the candles of the girls below the age of twelve, as their lighting is only for Chinuch purposes and not obligatory.
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:
Can a person use whipped cream on Shabbos from the bottles that make it from a liquid to a solid when it gets sprayed out?
Answer:
According to many Poskim it is indeed prohibited to discharge this whip cream from the bottle as doing so changes the liquid into a solid and thus violates "Molid", the prohibition to create a new entity on Shabbos. (Psak quoted in "The Shabbos Kitchen" by Rav Simcha Bunim Cohen Shlita in the name of the Debreciner Rav Zatzal, Rav Menashe Klein Zatzal and yblc"t Rav Yechezkel Roth Shlita and Rav Shmuel Felder Shlita)
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.
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THANK YOU AND תזכו למצות!
זכר צדיקים וקדושים לברכה
Work on developing the ability to accept the difficult situations of life, for this is the attribute of wise men.
It is much easier to tolerate suffering if prior to the experience you mentally visualize yourself in the negative situation and practice accepting it.
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin in his book 'Gateway to Happiness'
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