Can I use electric lights for Shabbos Candles?

Question:

Can I fulfill the obligation of Shabbos candles with electric lights?

Discussion:

Many poskim say that using electric lights is just as good as lighting with a candle and one is even permitted to make a bracha on them lichatchela (among them are Rav C.O. Grodzenski). However, there are poskim (Rav Moshe zt”l among others) that are of the opinion that one should not use electric lights to fulfill the mitzvah. Even according to this opinion if one is in a situation where they have no choice but to use electric lights one should use them but without reciting a bracha.  

A question which arises according to the first opinion is if I can fulfill my obligation with electric lights then why am I allowed to make a bracha on my “Shabbos Candles” if I have regular lights on in the house since these “Shabbos Candles” are not adding anything to my oneg Shabbos? One solution that is given to this problem is to shut off the lights in the room where you are lighting candles and then turn them on again with the intention of the mitzvah. One can then make the bracha on both the candles and the lights (both Rav Moshe and Rav Yaakov zt”l held this way). Another similar option is to first light the candles and then have someone else turn on the regular lights this way at the time of lighting the candles were a necessity (Rav S.Z. Aurebach zt”l).

There are some poskim that say that lighting candles themselves are a part of kavod Shabbos since one shows honor to Shabbos by lighting candles; similar to the way we light candles when we invite guests or at other affairs. Therefore one is permitted to make a bracha on them (Klausenberger Rav zt”l). A similar idea is that since custom has attached value to lighting special candles for Shabbos it becomes part of honoring Shabbos to light them. Therefore, a bracha may be recited (Rav Moshe Shternbauch shlit”a).  

The Obligation of Women in lighting the Chanukah Menorah

Question:

What is the obligation of Women in lighting the Menorah?

Discussion:

The Halacha is that women are obligated in lighting the menorah just as men are. The reason for this is that they too benefited by the nais (675:3). However, the accepted custom is that once a woman is married she fulfills her obligation with the lighting of her husband. The reason for this is because of the concept of “Ishto K’gufo” (M.B. 675:9). If a woman would want to light her own menorah then she would be able to, she should just have in mind not to be included in the lighting that her husband is doing.

One question that comes up is if a woman has an obligation to light the menorah as well and today the custom is that every member of the house lights for himself, why don’t unmarried women light their own menorah? One answer that is given is that in the times of the Gemara when the candles where lit outside near the public street the unmarried women would not go out to light as this was not modest. Therefore, the custom became that women do not light the menorah for themselves but rather join in with the father (Chasam Sofer Tra. Shabbos).

Another answer that is given is it is disrespectful for the daughter to light a menorah if her mother is not lighting one. According to this reason if a person is a widow and has daughters at home, they should all light their own menorahs (Mishmeres Shalom).

Summary:

Women are obligated in lighting the menorah just as men are since they also benefited from the nais. However, the accepted custom is that a married woman fulfills her obligation with her husband. A single girl would fulfill her obligation with her father as well.       

Using An Electric Menorah

Question:

Can I use an electric Menorah on Chanukah to fulfill my obligation?

Discussion:

The short answer is no but we will discuss why this is true. The Bais Yitzchak (Y.D. 120) says that since we use electric lights all the time it is not “persumei nesa” Publicizing the miracle. This reason is hard to understand because in the times of the Gemara they also used candles regularly. Another reason that is given is all the fuel has to be present at the time of lighting (675:5). When using electricity, the fuel is constantly being delivered from the power plant. According to this reason if one had a battery powered light he would be permitted to use it.

An additional reason given is that the fuel source has to have the characteristic of oil, which is fatty. Obviously, electricity does not have this quality so one would not be allowed to light with it (Levushei Moredechai vol. 3:59). Furthermore, we know that the best thing to light with is olive oil, so it certainly is not the preferred method to use electricity.

However, if one is in a situation where he will not be able to light a flame, he may be permitted to light an electric light but would not make the bracha on it. If one knows he is going to be in such a situation, (i.e. he will be in the hospital or will be travelling through the night) then a Rav should be asked as to what to do.  

Summary:

One does not fulfill the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah if he uses an electric fuel source. There are various reasons given as to why this is true. If one knows that he will be unable to light a flame one night of Chanukah a Rav should be consulted as to what to do.

Laws of Chanuka

Question:

Do I need a “Shamash” if there is an electric light on in the room?

Discussion:

There are two reasons given as to why we add a “Shamash”. One reason is since one is not permitted to use the light of the candles there needs to be another light in the room. The other reason is that since we light inside we are concerned that one might inadvertently use the light of the candles even if he has another light, therefore we add a light next to the candles (M.B. 673:14).

With the advent of electric lighting, both these concerns seem to fall away. One will not use the light of a candle when there are regular lights on in the room. It is therefore logical to assume that one need not light a “Shamash” (sefer Milsa D’shchecha). Rav S.Z. Aurebach zt”l is quoted (Halichos Shlomo) as saying that if there is an electric light on in the room a “Shamash” is not needed. However, he added that one should light a “Shamash” anyway in case the light goes out.

The accepted custom is to light a “Shamash” even though it may not be necessary. This is based on the opinion of the Mi’ere brought down in the biur halacha. Rabbi Eider, in his sefer on Chanukah, paskens this way as well. The sefer Kav Hayashar (96) says that there are kabalistic reasons to light the “Shamash” even if according to Halacha it is not necessary.

Summary:

According to the letter of the law there is no requirement to light a “Shamash” if there is an electric light on in the room. However, the accepted custom is to light the “Shamash” anyway.

As an aside; Rav Aurebach zt”l was makpid to light the Shabbos candles and then turn on the electric lights, because if the lights were on already, you don’t really need the candles, so how can you make a bracha on them. We will deal with this issue in a future email after Chanukah!   

Dusting off a jacket on Shabbos

Question:

Can I dust off my jacket on Shabbos?

Discussion:

“Kebus” (laundering) is a toldah of “Milaban” (bleaching). The melacho is defined as removing dirt that is absorbed into a fabric. Therefore, this prohibition only applies to a absorbant material (for this reason one is permitted to wash dishes on Shabbos – in a permitted fashion- as well as clean his eyeglasses if they get dirty). There is a machlokes among the Rishonim if shaking out (or brushing) a garment to remove dust falls under this melacho. Everyone agrees that one may not use a brush or shake a garment vigorously to remove dust.

We follow the stringent opinion that says not to remove dust in any fashion. However, this only applies to dust which is trapped between the fibers of a garment. Removing dust which is merely resting on the garment is permitted (M.B. 302:7)

Even if the dust is trapped between the fibers, it is only prohibitted to remove the dust when the garement is significantly dirty. This is determind as follows, if one would not wear the garment in this state then it is considered to be significantly dirty. If there is not enough dust to stop the owner from wearing it then one would be permitted to remove the dust (M.B.302:2).

Summary:

If the dust is merely resting on the garment then one is permitted to remove it. However, if the dust is trapped between the fibers of the garment the following guidelines should be used. One may not use a brush or shake the garment vigorously. Using a dry cloth is permitted (Shmeras Shabbos Kihilchosa 15:25). If the garment is so dusty that one would not wear it then one is not permitted to remove the dust at all.  

Question:Can I use baby-wipes on Shabbos?
Discussion:One of the melachos on Shabbos is “Dosh” (Threshing). One of the toldos of this melacho is “Mefarak” (squeezing) this is similar to the melacho of “Sechita”. A application of this Melacho is squeezing a liquid out of a wet cloth. Based on this there are some poskim that say that one should not use baby-wipes on Shabbos because when one uses them he is squeezing out the liquid on to the skin of the baby (Orchos Shabbos 13:46).

However, there are poskim (Rav Moshe zt”l) that permit using wipes for the following reason. Most of the liquid is not absorbed into the cloth, rather it is on the surface of the cloth (this is done so that it is easier to use the wipes). There are two things that one must keep in mind if he is going to follow this view. 1) Many wipes come attached and therefore they must be separated before Shabbos for Shabbos use. 2) The cloth should only be used while saturated. This means that once the cloth begins to dry out one should not use it on Shabbos. The reason for this is when it begins to dry one is forced to squeeze harder for the liquid to come out. This is certainly a problem of “Mefarak”. Additionally one should be careful to only wipe in a gentle way even if the wipes are still saturated. This is because if one wipes vigorously the liquid will surely be squeezed out.

Because of the issues involved with baby-wipes many people try no to use them on Shabbos. Instead they use tissues and water, making sure to first sprinkle water on the baby and then to use the tissue to wipe it away. Others will only use “kosher” brands which come with a hashgacha for Shabbos use. One should ask his own rav as to which way is the most appropriate.

Summary:There are different opinions regarding the use of baby-wipes on Shabbos. One opinion is that they should not be used. Rav Moshe zt”l held that they can be used, providing that the wipes are saturated with liquid. There are brands of baby-wipes that come with “hasgachas” as far as their permissibility of use on Shabbos. One should consult a rav as to which opinion to follow.

Using disposable diapers on Shabbos

Question:
What is the proper way to put on and take off a diaper on Shabbos?
Discussion:
Last week we discussed the melacha of "tofer" (sewing). We said that any form of attaching two items (or an item to itself) falls under this category. This week we will apply this concept to diapers. We mentioned that when we talk about taping there is a leniency that is mentioned in the poskim that if the object will definitely become detached with in 24 hours it is permitted to attach it. Based on this there are poskim that permit using a disposable diaper in the regular manner on Shabbos, since it will surely be detached with in the allotted time. One should be careful to detach the tabs and not slip the diaper off of the child. Additionally, when disposing of the diaper one must be careful not to fasten the adhesive tabs to the sides of the diaper (Titz Eliezer 15:6).

We mentioned last week that there is a dispute as to whether one must detach the tabs of a band-aid before shabbos. This same dispute applies to diapers as well. One opinion is that one must open the adhesive tabs, before Shabbos, for all the diapers he will need for Shabbos (Titz Eliezer 16:6, Oz Nidberu 7:34 as well as others). However, the opinion of Rav Moshe Finestein was that one need not do this prior to Shabbos (additionally this was the opinion of Rav Aurebach zt"l as well as Rav Scheinberg shlit"a).  
 

For all practical questions one should ask a rav.