Q. If (a woman) turned on (on Erev Shabbos) the electric light but then could not latter light the candles, as it became late. Does she now have to light one more candle?
A. Many Poskim rule that you comply with the mitzvah of hadlokas neiros using electric light. (Bais Ytzchok Y.D. 120,5 – Machze Avrohom 41 – Dvar Halocho 39 – Sh'miras Shabbos Kehilchoso vol. II, p. 34 et. al.). Some Poskim permit even making a brocho.(Pekudas Elozor O.H. 22, see Yalkut Yosef, Shabbos p.189 et. al).
Oitzer Dinim (9,29) quotes a lenient answer to this question in the name of Horav Ovadya Yosef Shlit”a and no new light has to be added in the future. Shebet Halevy (5,33) and Kinyan Torah (6,9) disagree
Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit"a opinion is that if she indeed turned on the electric lights) specifically with the intention that this light should be lit for Shabbos (as some women do), she does not have to light any additional candle in the future. (see a similar opinion in Melamed Lehoil O.H. 46 and Avney Yoshffoh O.H. 55)
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit"a
Important Numbers
