[Avodah] candles

[Ilana Sober]

RAF: Shuman is the permissible fat. However, quantity wise, shuman is almost
negligible; the bulk is in the cheilev.

It's a metzius question - in the time of the Rosh it seems they did make
candles davka from shuman, presumably so they would be kosher.

Rosh 11, 1st perek of Pesachim:
v'nahagu b'Ashkenaz she'ein bodkin ele b'ner shel sha'avah
aval lo b'ner shel cheilev shehu yarei shema yatif al hakeilim
***v'gam lo b'ner shel shuman shehu yarei shema yatif al klei hachalav
v'gam lo b'ner shel shemen shehu mityarei shema yatif al habegadim vytanfem
v'gam ein yachol l'hachniso l'chorin v'lisdakin.

I don't know if the Rosh here is based on a previous source, nor do I know
if shuman candles were a common kosher product in his time or perhaps just a
hava amina.

- Ilana