Shabbos candles and Chanuka candles are both נר מצוה/mitzvah candles. Being a נר מצוה, one is not allowed to use it to light an ordinary candle; nor even a match with the intent to light another נר מצוה. What about lighting one נר מצוה directly from another? Of course there are opinions all over the place. However, when the halachic dust has settled we are left with the following: You are allowed to light one Shabbos candle from another, but one may not light one Chanuka candle from another.
The correct response to that p'sak halacha is: Huh!? I know that is the correct response, as the Biur Halacha (263:1, d.h. שתי פתילות) asks the question in a surprised tone of writing. (Albeit more eloquently than simply, "huh!?")
Of course on Chanuka, we have a halachic basis for how many candles we light each night: The number of candles one lights corresponds to the number of days we are into the Chanuka celebration; one candle on the first night, two on the second, three on the third, and so on until the culmination of the holiday when we have a beautifully full menorah with eight dazzling lights. Regarding Shabbos, on the other hand, we have only custom to guide us. Some light two (corresponding to שמור/guard and זכור/remember; each appearing in the עשרת הדברות), some light seven (corresponding to the days of the week), some light 10 (corresponding to the עשרת הדברות), and others light one new candle for each new child. The Biur Halacha tells us that are first reaction, therefore, ought to be to expect the halacha to be more lenient regarding one Chanuka candle from another -- both of which have a halachic basis -- than lighting one Shabbos candle from another -- where the extra lights are מנהג בעלמא/simply customary practice.
We need to dig a bit deeper. What is the function of all those candles? When it comes to Chanukah, the first is for the mitzvah, all subsequent candles are a beautification (הִדוּר) of the mitzvah. When it comes to Shabbos, though, the main mitzvah nowadays is כבוד שבת/respect/glorification of Shabbos. (It is also because of having enough light to (1) not stub your toes and bump into things, (2) be able to see your food and thus enjoy it more. Both of those are pretty much covered by our electric lights.) Adding more candles, therefore (notes the Biur Halacha) is actually increasing the כבוד שבת, not simply beautifying it. That is, even though our additional Shabbos lights are a מנהג בעלמא, that increase is magnifying the mitzvah itself.
The conclusion of the Biur Halacha is that each Shabbos candle is an equal participant in the mitzvah; therefore may one light one Shabbos candle from another. Besides the first Chanuka candle, though, the remainder are only beautifying the mitzvah being performed by that original candle, but they are not equal participants in the mitzvah. Hence, the additional Chanukah candles (which are only הִדוּר מצוה) may not be lit from the original Chanuka candle, which is the real deal.
See? Everything has its place... even egalitarianism. By the same token, everything also has not its place... perhaps especially egalitarianism.
The correct response to that p'sak halacha is: Huh!? I know that is the correct response, as the Biur Halacha (263:1, d.h. שתי פתילות) asks the question in a surprised tone of writing. (Albeit more eloquently than simply, "huh!?")
Of course on Chanuka, we have a halachic basis for how many candles we light each night: The number of candles one lights corresponds to the number of days we are into the Chanuka celebration; one candle on the first night, two on the second, three on the third, and so on until the culmination of the holiday when we have a beautifully full menorah with eight dazzling lights. Regarding Shabbos, on the other hand, we have only custom to guide us. Some light two (corresponding to שמור/guard and זכור/remember; each appearing in the עשרת הדברות), some light seven (corresponding to the days of the week), some light 10 (corresponding to the עשרת הדברות), and others light one new candle for each new child. The Biur Halacha tells us that are first reaction, therefore, ought to be to expect the halacha to be more lenient regarding one Chanuka candle from another -- both of which have a halachic basis -- than lighting one Shabbos candle from another -- where the extra lights are מנהג בעלמא/simply customary practice.
We need to dig a bit deeper. What is the function of all those candles? When it comes to Chanukah, the first is for the mitzvah, all subsequent candles are a beautification (הִדוּר) of the mitzvah. When it comes to Shabbos, though, the main mitzvah nowadays is כבוד שבת/respect/glorification of Shabbos. (It is also because of having enough light to (1) not stub your toes and bump into things, (2) be able to see your food and thus enjoy it more. Both of those are pretty much covered by our electric lights.) Adding more candles, therefore (notes the Biur Halacha) is actually increasing the כבוד שבת, not simply beautifying it. That is, even though our additional Shabbos lights are a מנהג בעלמא, that increase is magnifying the mitzvah itself.
The conclusion of the Biur Halacha is that each Shabbos candle is an equal participant in the mitzvah; therefore may one light one Shabbos candle from another. Besides the first Chanuka candle, though, the remainder are only beautifying the mitzvah being performed by that original candle, but they are not equal participants in the mitzvah. Hence, the additional Chanukah candles (which are only הִדוּר מצוה) may not be lit from the original Chanuka candle, which is the real deal.
See? Everything has its place... even egalitarianism. By the same token, everything also has not its place... perhaps especially egalitarianism.
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