Page 176 - Chayei Adam LAYOUT sivan 5782

Chayei Adam - K’lal 144 - Laws of Erev Yom Kippur

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have passed away. However people are very attached to this custom to the
point that they light them during bein hashemashos and one should protest
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this. Nevertheless, it appears to me that it is permitted to instruct a non-Jew to
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light them, since they consider it a great mitzva. If the candles go out on Yom
Kippur, it is forbidden to tell a non-Jew to relight them, and it is likewise
forbidden to instruct a non-Jew to catch the dripping wax. It is even forbidden to
instruct him to light and gather the wax on erev Yom Kippur.

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]16[ The custom is to cover the tables on Yom Kippur like on Shabbos. The
minhag is to wear a kittel which is the garment of the dead, and even a mourner
may wear it. 71

םדו רשב
repulsive to use it in the service of Hashem, children. The Mishna Berura’s wording is
such as illuminating a shul. similar, as he writes that the custom is that
only married men light a candle.
67. The early poskim cite a custom to light
a candle for every male, including children, but 68. The gemara (Horiyos 12a) says that if
not for women or girls. The Mahari Veil someone wants to know if he will live out the
explains that the candle corresponds to Torah year, he should light a candle at the beginning
(since the second set of luchos was given on of the year and see if it goes out or burns until
Yom Kippur) and therefore only includes males the end. The Darkei Moshe cites this as the
who study it. The Maharil explains that the source for the above custom to light a candle
numerical value of רנ (candle) is 250 which on erev Yom Kippur. Due to the significance,
either corresponds to a man’s 248 limbs (or people naturally became concerned over the
the 248 positive mitzvos of the Torah), plus his candles which often led to instructing a non-
ruach and neshama (soul and spirit); women Jew to light or relight it, or worse, doing so
have more limbs and are exempt from many themselves which is a clear violation of Yom
mitzvos. The Rema writes that this is indeed Kippur. Accordingly, the Chayei Adam (below,
the custom, and in addition, one should light siman 17) recommends leaving his lit candle
candles for his parents if they have passed under the watchful eyes of the shamas of the
away (i.e. 'yahrtzeit candles’). The Chayei shul so that he won’t be tempted to use it.
Adam here writes that the custom is to light
just one candle per household, but not for 69. Chayei Adam’s note: See Hilchos

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