#183: The Havdalah Candle (Part 3)
- One should stand close enough to the fire that one can potentially benefit from the light. The custom is to verify this by bending over one's fingers so that the light can be used to differentiate between one's nails and palm (Shulchan Aruch, O.C. 298:2 and Rema). If one is not close enough to the fire to differentiate in this manner, one can wait until after Havdalah, move closer, and recite the berachah oneself on the candle at that time.
- Like for Besamim, one recites a berachah on the fire only if Havdalah is recited before dawn on Sunday morning. If Havdalah is recited after that, the berachah on fire is not recited, since fire was created specifically on Motzai Shabbat, as discussed previously (Shulchan Aruch, O.C. 299:6). Even if one knows that he or she will not be able to recite Havdalah until Sunday morning, one should still recite the berachah on fire on Motzai Shabbat independently, if possible (Rema, O.C. 298:1).
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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.
