[Avodah] Lighting Neros on Yom Tov

[Zev Sero]

Jacob Farkas wrote:

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


Not so.  The obligation is to have light in every room that one will
use, so that one won't hurt oneself stumbling around in the dark.
That obligation is adequately fulfilled with the electric lights,
and indeed the common practise is that we do *not* light candles in
most rooms of the house, relying on the electric lights to fulfill
the mitzvah.  Lighting candles in one location for the bracha, is a
hiddur mitzvah, surely no more important than having an avukah for
havdalah, or a ner for bedikat chametz.



> 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.

The whole *point* of nerot shabbat veyomtov is to have hana'ah from
them.  If one will have no hana'ah at all from the nerot, it's a big
shayla whether one can make a bracha on them.  (My usual practise
when I'm not eating at home is to light a candle big enough that it
will still be burning when I come home, and I then make a point of
sitting near it and having a cup of tea, or stam resting and enjoying
the fact that I can see my surroundings; even though most of that
hana'ah comes from the electric light, at least some of it is from
the candle.)


-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas