[Avodah] LED "tealights" for Shabbos candles

[Akiva Miller]

R' Liron Kopinsky wrote:
> In a fully lit room, where one woman has already lit candles,
> while it is preferable for any other women who want to light
> to light in a different place in the house, we (I think this
> is only for Ashkenazim but I don't remember) hold that tosefet
> ohr is enough of a reason to make a bracha over an additional
> lighting.

R' Micha Berger added:
> For that matter, most women today are lighting candles in an
> area already well lit by the room's electric lighting.
> RHSchachter suggested that these be shut off and turned back
> on too. IIRC but I'm not certain I do recall correctly, he too
> said it was on the order of preferable, not mandatory.

If Rav Schachter did say that it was mandatory, then what is his
suggestion when we have consecutive days of Shabbos and Yom Tov? Would
we have to install timers so that all the lights in the room are off
while the neros are lit?

This question is discussed in Shmiras Shabbos K'Hilchasa, 43:34, where he
does says that it is "min hara'uy" to do so. In footnote 171, he writes:

"Tzorech iyun about oil lights, which we never light nowadays for kavod,
or for extra light, or to enjoy the abundant light. We don't use them
except for a yahrzeit or in a beis evel, and if so, when there is already
a strong and clear light, there is no 'simcha yeseira' from this. And
if so, how is it possible to make a bracha on it? Maybe it is because
Chazal established oil as the Hidur Mitzvah, and because it is known and
obvious that it is L'Kavod Shabbos, so that's why it is considered Hanaah
and Simcha. It also seems that all the married women are very makpid
on this mitzvah, possibly making it into a Minhag Chashuv for adding
such neros L'Shem Mitzvah, and saying a bracha on it, just like when we
make a bracha on the Neros Chanukah in shul - even according to the Beis
Yosef who does not allow saying a bracha on Hallel on Rosh Chodesh..."

If I'm understanding that correctly, he holds that the presence of
abundant electric light totally removes the obligation of lighting
additional lights, yet despite this, the bracha can be said on these
additional lights purely because of the importance given to them by
the women.

In chapter 45 note 32, he uses different words to describe what I believe
is the same reasoning, for the situation where many women are all lighting
Ner Shabbos - with the bracha - even though they are technically exempt
because they are all guests of the same host. And he refers to this note
later on, in notes 35 and 43 of that chapter.

[Email #2. -micha]

R"n Toby Katz asked:
> Can we not translate "lehadlik ner" as "to turn on a light"?

That's exactly the problem.

Consider this: In Modern Hebrew, "lehadlik" is indeed the word one uses
for turning on an electric light. But - again in Modern Hebrew - the noun
"delek" refers to fuel.

But that's Modern Hebrew, and a mere introduction to the real questions,
which are: What does "l'hadlik ner" mean in Lashon Hakodesh? What is a
"ner"? What of a light which does *not* consume any fuel? Does lighting
such a light constitute "hadlaka"?

R' Marty Bluke posted a link to
http://www.yutorah.com/_materials/Candle%20Lighting%20Part%20II.pdf
That is a 3-page pdf file, in English, which gives a very nice summary
of many answers to these questions.

Akiva Miller