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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman רנ״ה · 3 Seifim
Lighting the fire before Shabbat — stable flame, shiurim, fuels
סימן רנ״ה
הכנת האש קודם הכנסת שבת
🌱 Introduction Level · Beginners
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A short siman, packed with concepts. Lighting the fire before Shabbat — not too late so it doesn't go out, and in such a way that one is not tempted to rekindle it on Shabbat. Core concept: שלהבת עולה מאליה — the flame must rise on its own. The shiur shifts according to the fuel: wood (strict), coal (lenient), pitch/straw (very lenient). Direct application: Shabbat candles, blech (plata), Shabbat-mode oven.
Topic: Preparing the fire before the onset of Shabbat
Source: Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim siman רנ״ה · 3 seifim · Shabbat 20a.
Compiled by: Rav Yosef Chaim Samama
DAAT · daattorah.com
📑 Study Outline
1. The text of the Shulchan Aruch — the 3 seifim
2. General context — why a dedicated siman for kindling?
3. Key concept 1 — שלהבת עולה מאליה (flame rising on its own)
4. Key concept 2 — שמא יחתה ויניד (concern of stoking or shifting)
5. Key concept 3 — Hierarchy of fuels
6. Detailed walkthrough of the 3 seifim
7. The Rama's position — Ashkenazi practice
8. Modern practical cases — candles, blech, oven, fireplace
9. Practical summary
10. Comprehension questions
1. The text of the Shulchan Aruch
Seif Aleph — The general rule for a wood fire
הֲכָנַת הָאֵשׁ קוֹדֶם הַכְנָסַת שַׁבָּת. וּבוֹ ג' סְעִיפִים: אֵין עוֹשִׂין מְדוּרָה מֵעֵצִים סָמוּךְ לַחֲשֵׁכָה עַד שֶׁיַּצִּית בָּהֶם הָאוֹר בְּעִנְיָן שֶׁתְּהֵא הַשַּׁלְהֶבֶת עוֹלָה מֵאֵלֶיהָ בְּלִי סִיּוּעַ עֵצִים אֲחֵרִים. וְאִם הוּא עֵץ יְחִידִי, צָרִיךְ שֶׁיֹּאחַז הָאוֹר בְּרוֹב עֳבְיוֹ וּבְרוֹב הֶקֵּפוֹ. וְאִם לֹא הוּדְלְקָה כָל כָּךְ — אָסוּר לֵיהָנוֹת בָּהּ בְּשַׁבָּת, גְּזֵרָה שֶׁמָּא יְחַתֶּה בָּהּ וְיָנִיד הָעֵצִים כְּדֵי שֶׁתַּעֲלֶה הַשַּׁלְהֶבֶת. וּכְשֶׁהוּדְלְקָה כְּשִׁעוּר, יָכוֹל לְהִתְחַמֵּם כְּנֶגְדָּהּ בְּשַׁבָּת וּלְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ לְאוֹרָהּ, בֵּין אִם הוּא עַל גַּבֵּי קַרְקַע אוֹ עַל גַּבֵּי הַמְּנוֹרָה, וַאֲפִילּוּ הוּא מִדְּבָרִים שֶׁאֵין עוֹשִׂים מֵהֶם פְּתִילָה לְשַׁבָּת.
Preparing the fire before the onset of Shabbos — 3 se'ifim. One does not make a wood medurah (bonfire) close to dusk — unless the flame rises on its own (השלהבת עולה מאליה), without the support of other logs. For a single log: the flame must have caught on the majority of its thickness and circumference. If not sufficiently lit — it is forbidden to derive benefit from it on Shabbat — out of concern that one might stoke it or shift the logs to make the flame rise. If lit to the proper shiur — permitted to warm oneself by it or use its light on Shabbat. And once it has caught fire to the required measure — one may warm oneself by it on Shabbos and use its light, whether it is on the ground or on a lampstand, and even if it is made of materials from which one does not make a wick for Shabbos.
Seif Aleph sets out 3 axes:
Seif Beit — Coal (פחמין)
יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁבְּפֶחָמִין אֲפִילּוּ לֹא אָחַז בָּהֶם הָאוֹר אֶלָּא כָּל שֶׁהוּא — שָׁרֵי, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם דּוֹלְקִים וְהוֹלְכִים.
For coals (פחמין) — there is a "Yesh Omrim" that says: even if the fire has caught only minimally (כל שהוא), it is permitted. Why: the coals continue to burn on their own — there is no need to stoke them, they are inherently self-sustaining by nature.
The chiddush of Seif Beit: some fuels have an intrinsic combustion. Coal is the archetype: once lit, it keeps going. So the criterion of "שלהבת עולה מאליה" is satisfied structurally, even with minimal kindling.
Seif Gimmel — Pitch, sulfur, straw, twigs, reeds, date pits
מְדוּרָה שֶׁל זֶפֶת וְשֶׁל גָּפְרִית וְשֶׁל קַשׁ וּגְבָבָא — אֲפִילּוּ לֹא אָחַז בָּהֶם אֶלָּא כָּל שֶׁהוּא — שָׁרֵי. וְכֵן מְדוּרָה שֶׁל קָנִים וְשֶׁל גַּרְעִינֵי תְּמָרִים כְּשֶׁהֵם מְפֻזָּרִים. אֲבָל אִם הַקָּנִים אֲגוּדּוֹת וְהַגַּרְעִינִים בְּסַל — צְרִיכִים שֶׁיַּצִּית בָּהֶם הָאוֹר עַד שֶׁתְּהֵא שַׁלְהֶבֶת עוֹלָה מֵאֵלֶיהָ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים בְּהֵיפֶךְ.
Quick-burning fuels — pitch (זֶפֶת), sulfur (גָּפְרִית), straw (קַשׁ), dry twigs (גְּבָבָא) — even a minimal lighting is enough. Why: these materials burn quickly and completely; no stoking needed. The same applies to reeds and date pits — when they are scattered. But reeds in bundles (אֲגוּדּוֹת) or date pits in a basket (בְּסַל) — one needs a flame that rises on its own (like wood). Yesh Omrim hold the opposite: some opinions reverse it — so in a case of doubt, follow the local pesak.
The chiddush of Seif Gimmel: what counts is the burning dynamic. Fuel that is scattered (each piece on its own) burns quickly and completely → light criterion; but in a bundle (packed together), it burns slowly and one might be tempted to stoke → strict criterion.
2. General Context
What is this siman about?
Siman רנ״ה is short but central. It deals with lighting the fire on erev Shabbat for the sake of Shabbat — that is, the technical conditions of stability of the fire before the onset of Shabbat. The fundamental question: up to what point must the flame be "set going" so there is no reason at all to intervene on Shabbat?
| Question | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Not too early? | Not really the question — you may light as early as you wish |
| Not too late? | Yes — the fire must be stable before bein hashemashot |
| Not too weak? | Yes — the flame must rise on its own, else one might be tempted to stoke |
The founding Talmudic sugya — Shabbat 20a: mishna on the conditions for kindling the fire before Shabbat. Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai agree in principle (stable flame), but the exact shiur differs by fuel. The gemara details the categories: עץ יחידי (single log), פחמין (coal), זפת/גפרית/קש (fast-burning fuels), קנים/גרעיני תמרים (reeds/pits — depending on arrangement).
Connection with neighboring simanim
| Siman | Topic | Link |
|---|---|---|
| רנ״ב | Melachot one may begin erev Shabbat | שמא יחתה — shared concept |
| רנ״ג | Shehiya, hachzarah | Gezeirat chitui applied to cooking |
| רנ״ד | Specific foods | Gezeirat chitui applied to roast and bread |
| רנ״ה | Preparation of the fire | — |
| רס״ג–רס״ד | Shabbat candles (wicks, oils) | Direct application — which flame/wick/oil are permitted |
| רס״ה | Hadlakat ner Shabbat | The mitzvah of lighting |
Place in the corpus: siman 255 is the technical rule; simanim 263–265 codify the mitzvah and the halachic details (who lights, when, which berachot). One reads 255 first, then 263+ for practice.
3. Key Concept 1 — שלהבת עולה מאליה
שַׁלְהֶבֶת עוֹלָה מֵאֵלֶיהָ = "a flame that rises on its own." This is the single criterion of the siman. Test: if you remove the cause of the lighting (the match, the support of another log), does the flame keep rising on its own strength? If yes → the criterion is met. If no → the criterion is not met.
Visual application: you can test this by observation. A candle: the wick has caught, the flame spreads, the wax begins to melt — the flame is self-sustaining. A partially charred log that would go out if you blew on it: not self-sustaining. A candle where the match is still heating the wick: not yet self-sustaining.
4. Key Concept 2 — שמא יחתה ויניד
שֶׁמָּא יְחַתֶּה = "lest he stoke" (add oxygen, shift the embers). שֶׁמָּא יָנִיד = "lest he shift/jostle" the logs to restart the flame. The difference from siman 253: in 253, the stoking is aimed at cooking faster; in 255, it is aimed at reviving the flame itself (which is about to go out). The two gezeirot are structurally parallel: to neutralize them, you must remove the temptation to act.
Practical consequence: if the flame is obviously stable (a paraffin candle burning well, an electric blech, an oven on steady heat), the risk of intervention is nil → permitted lechatchilah.
5. Key Concept 3 — Hierarchy of fuels
The siman classifies fuels according to the effort of lighting required:
| Category | Fuels | Criterion |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Slow | Wood (עצים) | Flame rising on its own + (single log: majority of thickness+circumference) |
| 2 — Continuous | Coal (פחמין) | Minimal lighting (כל שהוא) — natural autonomy |
| 3 — Very fast | Pitch, sulfur, straw, twigs | Minimal lighting — fast and complete burn |
| 4 — Variable | Reeds, date pits | Scattered: minimal; in bundle/basket: spontaneous flame required |
The logic: the more self-sustaining the fuel (continues to burn without intervention), the lower the required threshold for lighting. Wood — which can go out if poorly kindled — demands the most. Coal, which is in a sense "self-relaunching," demands the least.
6. Detailed walkthrough of the 3 seifim
Seif Aleph — Wood and single log
Rule:
- Multiple logs (medurah): flame rises on its own without support from the other logs
- Single log (etz yechidi): flame has caught on majority of thickness + majority of circumference — i.e., the log is already burning well in both dimensions
- If not met: forbidden to enjoy it on Shabbat (warmth, light) — gezeirah of שמא יחתה ויניד
Seif Beit — Coal (chiddush of the Yesh Omrim)
Coal = "self-relaunching" fuel. Once lit, even partially, it continues to burn down. So minimal lighting (כל שהוא) suffices. Direct application: barbecue grill with briquettes, charcoal candles, incense.
Seif Gimmel — Fast fuels + bundles
| Type | State | Criterion |
|---|---|---|
| Pitch (זפת) | — | Minimal lighting (fast burn) |
| Sulfur (גפרית) | — | Minimal lighting (fast burn) |
| Straw (קש) | — | Minimal lighting |
| Dry twigs (גבבא) | — | Minimal lighting |
| Reeds (קנים) | Scattered | Minimal lighting |
| Reeds (קנים) | In a bundle (אגודה) | Spontaneous flame (= like wood) |
| Date pits (גרעיני תמרים) | Scattered | Minimal lighting |
| Date pits | In a basket (בסל) | Spontaneous flame |
| Yesh Omrim behefech — the opposite: bundles burn quickly (concentrated heat), scattered ones less so. Practical: in a case of doubt, follow the strict criterion. | ||
7. The Rama's position
The Rama adds no hagahah on this siman — a sign that the Mechaber is accepted as is by Ashkenazim. A few practical details:
| Topic | Standard practice (Mechaber + Rama implicit) |
|---|---|
| Shabbat candles | Wick burning and flame stable before the time of lighting (=18 min before sunset) |
| Lighting just before the onset | Permitted if the flame is visibly self-sustaining — not if it flickers |
| Candle weakening during bein hashemashot | Machloket — most: do not handle it any more. If it goes out before the formal onset, you may relight — otherwise not. |
| Plugged-in electric blech | Must be hot before the onset (equivalent to spontaneous flame) |
| Fireplace or wood stove for the night | Logs must have well caught (majority of thickness + circumference) |
8. Modern practical cases
Case 1 — Shabbat candles
Case: lighting the candles 18 min before sunset.
How to handle:
How to handle:
- Wick burning well — stable flame, not flickering
- Wax beginning to melt (= the wick is drawing wax = self-sustaining flame)
- If the flame is weak, wait 30 sec before removing the match — check that it "holds"
- If the flame goes out right after removing the match — relight (before the time)
Case 2 — Electric blech (plata)
Case: plugging in the blech on erev Shabbat so it stays hot all Shabbat.
How to handle:
How to handle:
- Blech = "self-relaunching" fuel via constant electrical feed (≈ Seif Beit)
- Must be hot (palpably so) before the onset
- Verify proper functioning before the onset — no expected outage
- If the blech does not heat / cuts out on Shabbat — forbidden to act (replug, move)
Case 3 — Oven on Shabbat mode
Case: oven lit on erev Shabbat to cook the cholent all night.
How to handle:
How to handle:
- Oven already at stable heat before the onset (preheated)
- Shabbat mode activated before the onset (otherwise the thermostat will trigger on Shabbat)
- No intervention on Shabbat — no adjusting, no opening if the inner light turns on
- Combined application of simanim 253-254-255
Case 4 — Fireplace / wood stove for the night
Case: lighting the fireplace to warm the house on Shabbat.
How to handle:
How to handle:
- Logs well caught before the onset — majority of thickness and circumference charred
- More logs than needed for the night (anticipate the duration)
- If the fire threatens to go out on Shabbat — do not stoke, do not move the logs, do not add — let it go out
- Today — automatic pellet inserts are preferable (≈ Seif Beit)
Case 5 — Barbecue briquettes / charcoal
Case: lighting a barbecue to grill just before the onset.
How to handle:
How to handle:
- Coal = Seif Beit — minimal lighting suffices, since it will continue to burn
- But: an unusual practice (= you should most likely check with a Rav)
- Side concerns on Shabbat (moving the meat = שמא יחתה of siman 254 on the embers)
9. Practical summary of the Siman
The 4 lessons of Siman רנ״ה:
- Single criterion: שלהבת עולה מאליה — the flame rises on its own before the onset of Shabbat
- Single log: majority of thickness AND of circumference charred
- "Self-relaunching" fuels (coal, pitch, straw): minimal lighting suffices
- Bundles of thin objects (reeds, grouped pits): strict criterion = spontaneous flame
Practical decision table
| Source | Criterion | State before the onset |
|---|---|---|
| Shabbat candles | שלהבת עולה מאליה | Stable wick, melting wax |
| Wood fireplace | Majority of thickness + circumference (single log); spontaneous flame (multiple) | Logs well ablaze |
| Electric blech | Active heat (analogous to Seif Beit) | Surface hot to the touch |
| Oven on Shabbat mode | Mode activated + heat in progress | Preheated |
| Gas pilot light | Stable flame | Continuous blue flame |
| Charcoal barbecue | Minimal lighting (Seif Beit) | Briquettes red on the surface |
| Incense / powder | Fast combustion (Seif Gimmel) | Minimal lighting |
| Bundle of thin wood | Spontaneous flame required | Branches well caught |
The 5 practical commandments of Siman רנ״ה
- Always check visually that the flame is self-sustaining before the onset — not merely "it is lit"
- Light early enough — leave a margin to verify stability (at least a few minutes)
- For wood (single log): majority of thickness AND of circumference charred
- For coal / fast fuels: a visible lighting suffices; no need for a full flame
- If the flame threatens to go out on Shabbat: do not intervene (no stoking, no shifting, no adding) — let it go out. Relight after Shabbat.
10. Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- What is the single criterion of siman 255? How do you test it in practice?
- For a single log, what must one verify before the onset of Shabbat?
- Why does coal have a more lenient criterion than wood?
- What does שמא יחתה ויניד mean? How does it differ from the שמא יחתה of siman 253?
- Why do reeds in a bundle require a strict criterion, whereas scattered reeds do not?
- For an electric blech, what corresponds to the criterion of "שלהבת עולה מאליה"?
- If a Shabbat candle goes out on Shabbat — may one relight it?
- If a candle is lit but the flame is flickering — may one sit nearby to enjoy its light on Shabbat?
- How does siman 255 tie in with simanim 263–265 on Shabbat candles?
- For an oven on Shabbat mode — what checks are needed before the onset?
To go deeper in this siman:
- 📚 Level 2 — Lamdan: sugya Shabbat 20a, mishna of Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai on kindling, chakirah of gezeirat שמא יחתה ויניד, machloket Yesh Omrim on bundles
- ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: axiom, mnemonic, decision tree
- 📜 Level 4 — Daat HaRav: the shitah of the Admur HaZaken on the 4 seifim and 1 entry of Kuntres Acharon
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DAAT · Rav Yosef Chaim Samama
Talmid chacham · Magid shiur in halacha and chassidut
Siman רנ״ה · Level 1 — Introduction
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DAAT · Rav Yosef Chaim Samama
Talmid chacham · Magid shiur in halacha and chassidut
Siman רנ״ה · Level 1 — Introduction
♥ Support DAAT