Is there a problem reciting a b’racha when there are electric lights in the same room?

In the previous shiur we learned that Sephardim should not recite a b’racha when lighting candles next to other candles and even for Ashkenazim there is room for a hidur to light, when possible, in a place that does not have other candles.

It would seem then, that nowadays, when we have bright electric lights lighting up our homes, there would be a problem in making a b’racha. [1]

Indeed we find that the poskim [2] discussed this problem [3] and offered several solutions, as follows.

1)       The wife should first light the Shabbos candles with the electric lights off and only after she lights the candles should the husband turn on the electric lights. The wife may not turn them on after lighting candles because she accepts the Shabbos with her lighting.

2)       The Shabbos clock should be prearranged in such a way that the lights will turn on only after she has lit the candles.

3)       She should first turn on the electric lights “lichvod Shabbos”  (for the sake of Shabbos) and immediately light the Shabbos candles, thus reciting the b’racha over both. [4]

If one does not have Shabbos candles (hotel room, hospital etc.) may one recite a b’racha over electric lights?

We find many opinions in this matter that hold that one may recite a b’racha and consequently, one who lights electric lights specifically for Shabbos and recites a b’racha, has on what to rely. [5]

Must one accept Shabbos with the candle lighting?

The accepted custom is that the housewife accepts Shabbos with her lighting and therefore she should finish all her preparations before she lights the candles.

This is also the basis for the manner she lights and recites the b’racha. Since there is an opinion who says that she accepts the Shabbos with the b’racha, and henceforth she will not be able to light the candles, she first lights, covers her eyes and then recites the b’racha. The reason for covering the eyes is in order to benefit from the light only after the b’racha.

May one light and stipulate that one does not want to accept Shabbos with the lighting?

This is a machlokes. The BaHag [6] says that she accepts the Shabbos with her lighting, as mentioned. Several Rishonim [7] learn that she can make a 't'nai' - a stipulation – that she does not accept Shabbos with the lighting. The Kol Bo and R’ Peretz learn that she cannot make a úðàé and she must accept Shabbos with her lighting.

The Magen Avraham [8] rules that one should not light and make a 't'nai' unless necessary. The Mishna Berura says [9] that the reason for this is because there are opinions that hold that a úðàé does not have an effect, as mentioned.

What would you consider as being necessary to rationalize not accepting Shabbos with the lighting?

This is difficult to ascertain, for example, if she wishes to travel to the Kosel HaMa’arvi after lighting, and the only way to do that is to light and to make a 't'nai' that she is not accepting Shabbos. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach holds [10] that it is not “necessary” to travel to the Kosel and as such she may not light and stipulate that she is not accepting Shabbos.

If a couple are eating at their parents on Shabbos night and it is much easier to travel there before Shabbos, I think that they would be better off lighting candles at their parents rather than lighting at home and making a 't'nai'. They must nevertheless leave lights on at home, as mentioned earlier, because there must be light in one’s home on Shabbos.

If a man lights, does he have to accept Shabbos with his lighting?

The halacha is that a man does not and he need not accept Shabbos with his lighting, nevertheless the Mishan Berura writes [11] that it is preferable to stipulate that he is not accepting Shabbos with his lighting.