[Avodah] candles and fire safety

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Wed, May 10, 2017 at 04:24:41PM -0400, Michael Poppers via Avodah wrote:
: As RJR implies, I thought the key component of *neiros Shabbos* was
: enjoying their light (in contradistinction to *neiros Chanukah*)...

As every Granik and Brisker knows, it's "neir shel Shabbos" (or "shel
YT") but it's "neir Chanukah". Their kids wouldn't forget.

:             everyone lit in a common room (and then stayed a bit to get
: enjoyment from the light) because lighting in one's room or in the hotel
: dining room would have represented a fire hazard....

Fire hazard is safeiq piquach nefesh, and ein danin es ha'efshar mishe'i
efshar.

However, wouldn't the alternative been lighting in the dinig hall, near
one's table? The point is to eat by neir shel YT, not to sleep by them!

And in this case (combining the above with what RJR wrote), shouldn't
they have provided incandescent lamps for each table? (Not that there
were small bulbs of other sorts when we were growing up.) Wouldn't it
be easier to justify making a berakhah on turning the light on than on
lighting in a third room or a table off to the side of the dining room
dozens of yards from where you are eating?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 37th day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        5 weeks and 2 days in/toward the omer.
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