#37: Multiple People Lighting Shabbat Candles in One Location
- The Shulchan Aruch (263:8) brings two opinions as to whether multiple people can light candles with a berachah in the same location (such as three women from three different families in the same place). The Shulchan Aruch concludes that to avoid questionable berachot, only one of them should recite a berachah when lighting. This is the prevalent Sephardic practice (see Yalkut Yosef 263:19). The Rema allows each one to recite their own berachah since each light adds additional illumination, which is the Ashkenazic practice (Shemirat Shabbat K'hilchata 45:9) and that of some Sephardim (see Kaf Hachaim 263:56 & Shemesh Umagen 2:38; this is the custom of many in the Moroccan community).
- Based on this, when one has guests staying in one's house for Shabbat, or multiple families staying together somewhere, the halacha is as follows: Sephardim have one person recite a berachah for everyone else or find a different place in the house for each person to light (near where one eats or other location used), while Ashkenazim can each light with a berachah in the same place, near or on the table.
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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for the hostages to be released safely to their families and may everlasting peace come to Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.
