Thursday, May 6, 2010

Are we allowed to make Havdalah over electricity ?

B"H

A Sephardi Rabbi on an Israeli haredi radio channel taught the following:

Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk (Brest - Litowsk), 1853 - 1918, kept the custom (Minhag) to make Havdalah over an electric light. One of the reasons was that he wanted to show the Reform movement that Judaism does accept modernity (new inventions). However, making Havdalah over a candle is a bigger Mitzvah.

Apparently Ashkenazim are allowed to make Havdalah over electricity but Sephardic Jews are halachically not allowed to do so.

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