#41: Lighting Shabbat Candles Away from Home (Part 1)
In the next few posts, we will discuss various scenarios where one is not at home for part/all of Shabbat.
- According to the strict halacha, one who is visiting another family for all of Shabbat fulfills the mitzvah of hadlakat neirot with the candles lit by the hostess (Shulchan Aruch HaRav 263:15; Rav Moshe Feinstein cited in “The Radiance of Shabbos,” p.11). Nevertheless, we mentioned in previous postings that a married woman generally has the custom to light two candles of her own, even if others are lighting in that location. Ashkenazim may recite a berachah even when lighting in the same place as the hostess (as discussed previously), while Sephardim should preferably light in the room in which they are sleeping (Yalkut Yosef 263:19). If that is not practical (which is often the case), Sephardim may light in a different room such as the kitchen, or they may light together with the hostess without reciting a berachah.
- One who eats out on Friday night but sleeps at home should still light at home, since that is their permanent location (“The Radiance of Shabbos,” ibid., also noted previously). However, if this is not possible (e.g., concern for fire hazard, one is not home at candle lighting time), one may light in the home of the host, as that is one’s location of eating.
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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for the hostages to be released safely to their families and may everlasting peace come to Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.
