It was a very exciting Shabbat in March 2011 when Adina Bar-Shalom, the distinguished daughter of Rav Ovadia Yosef, visited Congregation Shaarei Orah, the Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck. In addition, to have the special pleasure and honor of hearing Rabbanit Bar-Shalom speak, it was a privilege for the Jachter family to host her at our home. In addition to very pleasant conversation and Torah discussions, it was an opportunity to see the practical application of the rulings of her father, Rav Ovadia Yosef. One of these areas is how a guest should light Shabbat candles at their host.

Maran Rav Yosef Karo in the Beit Yosef (Orach Chaim 263) records: “I have found in an Ashkenazi responsa (the Maharil) that if two individuals are eating together, each one should recite his own bracha on his Shabbat candles. Although the Ohr Zarua disagrees, nevertheless, some follow this custom, for any additional light in the house causes additional peace in the home and this also causes additional joy in the house since there is light in every corner.”

Nevertheless, in his Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 263:8), Maran Rav Karo rules: “Two individuals who are eating in the same place, some say that each one may recite a bracha upon lighting his own candles, and some disagree with this opinion. Thus, it is proper to take care regarding a situation of doubt regarding blessings and only one of them should recite a blessing.”

This means that according to Maran HaShulchan Aruch, a Sephardic Jew should not follow this Ashkenazi custom of several women lighting in one place; rather, one person should recite a blessing and the other women will thus fulfill their obligation to light Shabbat candles.

Based on this, according to Maran HaShulchan Aruch, a Sephardic daughter may not light Shabbat candles in addition to her mother’s candles; rather, if she wishes to light, she may do so without reciting a bracha since safek brachot l’hakeil, when in doubt regarding a blessing, omit the bracha. However, according to the Ashkenazi custom, the guest may light additional candles and recite a blessing upon these candles, for they rule in accordance with the Maharil who permits reciting a blessing on additional light. The Rama rules likewise in his notation to the Shulchan Aruch.

It is for this reason Rav Ovadia Yosef instructed single Sephardic women and girls not to recite a bracha on candle lighting if they wish to light candles alongside their mother’s lighting. He notes that the Sephardic women never lit candles in addition to their mother’s lighting but if they wish to follow the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s exhortation for every woman in the home to light, they should refrain from reciting a bracha even if they light in their own room.

We should note that Ribi Shalom Mesas, the great Moroccan halachic authority, rules (Teshuvot Shemesh U’Magen 2:38) that a guest or even a daughter is permitted recite a bracha on additional light in accordance with the ruling of the Maharil and Rama if they very much wish to do so. Ribi Shalom notes that since Rav Karo did not oppose this ruling in an absolute fashion and only wrote that “it is proper to take care” regarding this matter, one may therefore rely on the ruling of the Maharil. Rav Messas argues that it is certainly permissible for the guest or daughter to recite a bracha on candles they light in their own room.

Nevertheless, Chacham Yitzchak Yosef holds firm and rules (Yalkut Yosef O.C. 263:14) that since Sephardic Jews have accepted the rulings of Maran Rav Yosef Karo, they should follow his opinion in this regard especially since there is concern for a bracha l’vatala, an unnecessary bracha. Moroccan Jews, though, may certainly rely on the ruling of Rav Messas.

Nonetheless, Chacham Yitzchak adds that a guest should light Shabbat candles with a bracha in the designated room where she will be sleeping, since it is as if the guest has rented the room in which she is staying. The guest, accordingly, has a halachic obligation to light Shabbat candles with a bracha in her separate quarters. However, she must take care to light candles that are long enough to remain lit until she returns to her room at night in order that she benefit from the light of the candles.

When we hosted Rabbanit Bar-Shalom at our home, she was speaking that evening at Congregation Rinat Yisrael and thus it was impractical for her to light candles in the room in which she was staying. Therefore, Rabbanit Bar-Shalom (in addition to the dim electric light in the closet of the room in which she was staying) lit candles alongside my wife, Malca, without reciting a bracha. Instead, she asked my wife, Malca, to have her in mind when Malca was reciting her bracha on her candle lighting. Rabbanit Bar-Shalom answered Amen and then lit her candles.

It was an honor to see Rav Ovadia’s family member following his rulings in practice. We also witnessed Rabbanit Bar-Shalom make tea in a kli shlishi, also in accordance with Rav Ovadia’s ruling. May we all merit to have children who follow in the wonderful halachic practices of their parents!

By Rabbi Haim Jachter

 Rabbi Haim Jachter is the spiritual leader of Congregation Shaarei Orah, the Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck. He also serves as a rebbe at Torah Academy of Bergen County and a dayan on the Beth Din of Elizabeth.