<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal>Shalom to All Reading:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>There seems to be some record of an old German Ashkenazic
custom during the time of Rashi (circa 11<sup>th</sup> century) whereby
women were instructed to light Shabbos candles without a Bracha or,
alternatively, did not light Shabbos candles at all. It seems amazing to
me especially after researching the halachos back through the Tur and then back
to Gemara Shabbos 23, 25 and 27 (and the Rosh on these pages) and especially
since the commentaries and Rashi himself quotes that lighting candles is
a Chova – Obligation. The Mishna Brura, Biur Halacha, etc., all
have no mention of this minhag and treat it as a Rabbinical, generally accepted
Mitzva with an equally binding Bracha.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>It could be possible that the Yeshivos of Vormaiza and
Magentza might have taught this but it never travelled beyond Ashkenaz.
By the time the Tur was written (3 centuries later), it became globally
accepted to indeed light with a Bracha. Apparently at the time, the
minhag in Provence was the opposite - to light with a Bracha as is accepted today.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Has anyone heard of this Ashkenazic custom? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>If anyone can clear this up, it would be greatly
appreciated.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Ytzik Aranov <span style='font-family:Wingdings'>à</span> <a
href="mailto:ytzik@aranov.com">ytzik@aranov.com</a> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>