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Must one relight all Chanukah (חנוכה) candles that go out, or only the basic mitzvah (מצוה) candle? The shiur analyzes Rashi (רש"י)'s principle that poor oils can't be used because 'perhaps one will be negligent and not relight.' Since negligence only applies to obligations, this suggests mehadrin candles have different standards than the core mitzvah light.
This shiur provides a detailed examination of Shabbos (שבת) 21a, focusing on the principle of 'kaf se'ah zakig lo' - the obligation to relight Chanukah (חנוכה) candles if they go out. Rabbi Zweig begins by establishing the basic halachic framework: there is a dispute about whether one is obligated to relight Chanukah candles that go out prematurely. This leads to a fundamental question about what types of oil and wicks may be used initially for the mitzvah (מצוה). The shiur explores Rashi (רש"י)'s interpretation that one cannot use poor quality oils (shmanim) or wicks (pesuilos) for Chanukah candles because 'dibur omer poshea v'lo misakna' - perhaps the person will be negligent and not fix it if it goes out. This raises a significant question: why should we assume that someone who carefully performed the mitzvah with proper intention would suddenly become negligent if the candle goes out?
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Shabbos 21a
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