[Avodah] Don't Blow Out the Candles and Make a Wish

[Zev Sero]

Saul.Z.Newman at kp.org wrote:
> 
> dr levine says the excitement level of candles would make the blowing 
> out candles ok.  r blumenkrantz  zl  in his pesach annual disagrees...

There's a Jewish minhag against blowing out candles at any time, not
just on birthday cakes.   I've heard two reasons:
1) something vague to do with ner h' nishmat adam, but I've never heard
it explained exactly what the connection was between that and blowing out;
2) if you blow a candle out you may inhale droplets of molten tallow.
Reason 2 makes a lot more sense, but of course would not apply to our
paraffin candles.

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