Shabbos Candles for someone with a very strong asthma condition

 

Question:

My grandmother recently started requiring someone to be in the house with her 24/7 as she has a very strong asthma condition. For now, my mother is doing it. Due to her condition, she cannot have a lit fire in the house, so what should my mother do for Shabbos Licht while she stays with her for Shabbos?

 

Answer:

She should use asthma friendly candles, such as 100% soy wax candles.

If that is not possible, one may use electric candles, and even make a Bracha on them.  It’s recommended to use a battery-operated light, rather than a regular electric lamp. Some say the light must be incandescent and not fluorescent. One should certainly not used LED lights.

Ideally it should be a light not ordinarily used during the week.

 

Sources:

ראה שו״ת בית יצחק א, קכ. ב, לא. הר צבי או״ח קמג. מלמד להועיל כז. דבר אליהו לט, אחיעזר ג, ס. ב  שערים מצויינים בהלכה לאאזמו״ר עה, ז. שש״כ מג, ד-ה. יבי״א ב, יז. יחו״ד ה, כד. וראה לקו״ש ל ע׳ 306.

 

 

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