[Avodah] Lighting Neros on Yom Tov

[Jacob Farkas]

R' Akiva Miller wrote:

> 
> We know that when melacha is allowed on Yom Tov, it is not a blanket 
> heter. The melacha is allowed only if there is a *need* for that 
> action. The poskim discuss which needs are legitimate, and which 
> needs are insufficient to allow the melacha to be done. This post 
> will discuss an application of this principle.
> 
> In Shmiras Shabbos K'Hilchasa, perek 62 note 31, Rav Shlomo Zalman 
> Auerbach is quoted as questioning whether an avukah may be lit on for 
> havdalah when Yom Tov falls on Motzaei Shabbos. He explains that this 
> action is being done only for Hidur Mitzvah, not for Hanaah. He 
> leaves it as a Tzarich Iyun.
> 
> That same footnote points to Shaar Hatziyun 435:9, which tells of a 
> case where a person did not do Bedikas Chometz, and did not do a 
> Bitul Chometz either, and it is now Yom Tov. Even though there's no 
> question that such a person must now do a full Bedikah, including use 
> of a Ner, he asks whether a ner may be lit specifically for this 
> purpose if it is during the daytime. My guess is that the problem is 
> that because it is daytime, he's not really getting any use from the 
> candle's light. He leaves this question as a Tzarich Iyun.
> 
> So we have two cases about lighting a fire on Yom Tov specifically 
> for a mitzvah, not for actual use. Both are left as a "Tzarich Iyun". 
> This leads me to wonder about yet another case of lighting a candle 
> on Yom Tov only for a mitzvah, not for personal use:
> 
> Namely, the Yom Tov candles themselves. Sometimes they are lit before 
> Yom Tov, but sometimes we light them on Yom Tov itself. (See footnote 
> 1 for more details.)
> 
> In virtually all of our homes, the room is already full of electric 
> light. I really do not need any more light. Unless I had a timer turn 
> off the electric lights for the time period when the Neros are 
> scheduled to be lit, the only reason I'm lighting is because of the 
> mitzvah.
> 
> Is this melacha mutar? To me, this case seems similar to the other 
> two cases, a Tzarich Iyun. 
> 

Lighting candles is Tzorekh Yomtov, as it is obligatory. Not lighting 
them is problematic.

> It is undeniable that the whole world *does* light under these 
> conditions, and has been doing so for decades. But what is the heter?

Mitokh [Shehuterah l'tzorekh okhel nefesh huterah shelo l'tzorekh] 
allows for lighting candles even when there is no "real" need at all. 
There is a Mahloqes Rishonim as to whether Tzorekh Ketzas is needed, 
Rashi is of the opinion that it is unnecessary, Tosfos and the Rosh 
require that there be at least Tzorekh Ketzas. So according to Rashi, 
there is no question, (even when ignoring the obligation to light as a 
neccesity), according to Tosfos and the Rosh, there could be a question, 
if not for the aforementioned obligation, which would at the very least 
constitute Tzorekh Ketzas.

> 
> Are there any other poskim who deal with this question? In light of 
> Shaar Hatziyun 435:9, how do we light Neros Yom Tov when the room is 
> already full of electric light? Perhaps we must arrange things so 
> that they are lit only in a dark room?

I have yet to see any posqim deal with a hypothetical case of frying an 
egg on Yomtov when there is a fridge full of prepared food, either.

> I do not mean to accuse Klal Yisroel of doing issurim for the past 
> few decades. I'm only asking if anyone knows of any poskim who have 
> discussed it. Perhaps the answer will be that this very case proves 
> that such mitzvos DO constitute adequate tzorech for this halacha, 
> thus resolving the "tzorech iyun" for Avukah for Yaknehaz, and of Ner 
> for Bedikas Chometz as well.

The "tzorich iyun" is actually understandable, even when considering 
that Ner Shel Yom Tov is necessary in a room full of light. Borei 
me'orei ha'eish does not 'need' 2 flames, having a second flame is not 
even tzorekh ketzas, unlike the first flame, which RSZA would agree has 
Tzorekh ketzas, so it is a good sha'aloh, whether the Hiddur of having 
Avuqah is enough to satisfy Tzorekh ketzas. Bediqas Hametz is fine 
without Ner as well, even though it is min hamuvhar to use a Ner, 
specifically, so the question would also be, is that enough to 
constitute Tzorekh Ketzas.

> 
> Akiva Miller
> 
> (Footnote 1: Some have the minhag to always light Neros Yom Tov after 
> Yom Tov has already started, so this question always applies to them. 
> Others usually light beforehand (like on Shabbos) but even they often 
> light on Yom Tov itself: Second night of Rosh Hashana, second night 
> in galus, or when any night of Yom Tov is on Motzaei Shabbos. This 
> question also applies to everyone regarding Ner Shabbos when Yom Tov 
> is on Friday afternoon.)
> 
> (Footnote 2: I should point out that in Shmiras Shabbos K'Hilchasa, 
> perek 43 note 171, Rav Auerbach focuses on this exact case, but he 
> asks an entirely different question about it: He asks how the bracha 
> may be said on such a lighting, since no hanaah will be gotten from 
> those candles. He suggests, for several reasons, that the bracha may 
> be said, but as I see it, this makes the Melacha L'Tzorech question 
> even sharper. He explicitly writes that "leika klal shum simcha 
> yeseira mizeh" - there is no extra simcha whatsoever from the neros, 
> and the women light them only because it is an important mitzvah. So 
> why is it more "l'tzorech" than bedikas chometz? His conclusion is 
> unclear to me: He ends with both "ul'dvareinu nicha" and "v'adayin 
> tzarich iyun" -- "according to our explanation it's okay" and "but it 
> still needs more research".)

I don't have the sefer in front of me now, but I am unsure what the 
Brakhah on Ner Yom Tov has to do with Hana'ah altogether.

Jacob Farkas