[Avodah] Women Lighting Menorahs

[Zev Sero]

Rich, Joel wrote:

> Are candles really a mitzvah that applies to the home as a unit

AIUI the obligation is on the baal habayit.


>(e.g. the
> wife has a highly communicable disease and has confined herself to the
> 2nd floor area which includes a small kitchen and bedroom, the husband
> has a similar set up in the basement - is he yozeh with her lighting?)

The obligation is to light *every* room that will be used on shabbat,
i.e. both his quarters and hers.  Your question becomes, whether he
needs to make a separate bracha on his lighting, and my guess is that
he doesn't.


> Isn't candle lighting a din in oneg and kavod which is chal on each
> individual (i.e. if this is the only act of this nature, would all the
> bnai bayit get credit for both (especially if one didn't utilize?)  

The mitzvah is "that he not stumble on wood or stone" by attempting
to navigate in the dark.  Therefore AIUI it applies to the person who's
responsible for the maintenance of the rooms, i.e. the baal habayit,
who is by millennia-old tradition obligated to delegate it to his wife.

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