QUESTION: The Rema (263:1) quotes the Maharil who rules that one who forgot to light candles one Shabbos should add an additional candle every Shabbos thereafter. If a woman lit candles before the earliest candle lighting time, must she light an additional candle going forward, since she did not fulfill the mitzvah of lighting candles?

ANSWER: Rav Zylberstein (Chashukei Chemed, Shabbos 23b) writes that in this case, the customary penalty does not apply. The purpose of the penalty is to make sure that in the future one will be even more careful in honoring Shabbos. However, in this situation, the person was already being careful – perhaps too careful. The mistake was not in delaying lighting candles until it was too late, but rather in rushing to light before the correct time. In addition, although we hold that one may not light earlier than an hour and a quarter before sunset, there is an opinion that holds that one may light candles even earlier. This lenient opinion is an added reason not to require an additional candle in this scenario.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.