Q&A from the Bais HaVaad Halacha Hotline

Night Lights

February 12, 2026

Q Shkiah has arrived, but I haven’t lit neiros Shabbos. Is there anything I can do?

A During bain hashmashos (halachic twilight, between shkiah and tzeis hakochavim, which is safeik yom safeik leilah), amirah lenachri is

permitted     letzorech Shabbos (O.C. 261:1), so you may ask a non‑Jew to light. Some poskim allow the bracha to be made, because you are fulfilling the mitzvah (bedi’eved), but when the act is performed by another person, the wording should be changed to “al hadlakas ner shel Shabbos” (Magein Avraham 263:11, Shulchan Aruch HaRav ibid. Kuntres Acharon 3). The Mishnah Brurah (263:21) strongly disagrees and rules that no bracha may be recited.

Although the mitzvah is fulfilled with two lights, and possibly even with one, you may ask the non‑Jew to light as many neiros as you customarily light (Divrei Malkiel 4:5).

The duration of bain hashmashos is the subject of considerable debate. In practice (as set forth by R’ Simcha Bunim Cohen in The Sanctity of Shabbos), until 30 minutes past shkiah one may certainly tell a non‑Jew to light. There is room for leniency until 58 minutes past shkiah for those who generally refrain from melacha on motza’ei Shabbos until Rabeinu Tam’s zman (even the 60-minute version). Some even allow amirah lenachri until 72 minutes for those that follow the 72-minute version of Rabeinu Tam’s shitah on motza’ei Shabbos—but a rav must be consulted.

When a woman fails to light on Erev Shabbos, she must add an additional light for the rest of her life as a knas (Rama 263:1) if it resulted from negligence (Mishnah Brurah ibid. 7). If she had a non‑Jew light, some suggest that the knas is not imposed (Ketzos Hashulchan 74 n. 32); others disagree (cited in The Radiance of Shabbos p. 53).

R’ Shmuel Kamenetsky says that no knas is imposed if the house was illuminated anyway by electric lights (Kovetz Halachos 7:14); many poskim disagree (see Piskei Teshuvos ibid. fn. 34).