The Gemara in Shabbos (23a) tells us that if someone has a corner home, with doors on two sides – one on the north and one on the east – he must light the Chanukah Menorah on both sides. Otherwise someone who passes by on one side and doesn’t see a Menorah, may think that this person did not light at all.
The Ran writes that since the additional lighting is just to remove suspicion, no brocha is recited on the extra lighting. The Rama quotes this ruling in Shulchan Aruch. The Ran and Rama clearly hold that, since the lighting is just to be sure that the person is not suspected of not lighting, it is not even considered a rabbinical mitzvah, and no brocha is recited.
Reciting a Brocha on Shechita for Chashad
However, this is not so simple, and at first glance, the Rashba seems to disagree.
The Gemara (Chullin 75b) tells us about a ben pekua – a calf found in the mother’s womb at the time of the shechita. From a scriptural standpoint, it is permitted to be eaten at any time, without any shechita, as the shechita of the mother, works even for the calf that was inside her. However, the Chachamim made a decree that once the calf set foot on the ground, we must perform shechita before eating it. The poskim explain that this is in order that no one will think we are eating it without proper shechita.
[The Parashas Derachim uses this concept to explain the dispute between Yosef and his brothers. The Midrash tells us that Yosef reported his brothers eating meat without shechita, which seems astonishing! Is it possible that the children of Yaakov Avinu ate without proper shechita? He explains that they had been eating from a ben pekua, which does need to be shechted, and Yosef didn’t realize that, mistakenly thinking that they ate meat without shechita.]
The Rashba adds that a brocha must be recited. The Pri Chodosh points out that the Rashba seems to disagree with the aforementioned opinion of the Ran. Whereas, the Ran holds that a mitzvah done just to remove suspicion does not require a brocha, the Rashba holds that it is considered a mitzvah and does require a brocha. The Pri Chodosh adds that, according to the Rashba, the same should be true for the case of the Ran, and even when lighting just to remove suspicion, it is considered a rabbinical mitzvah, and a brocha should be recited.
Halachically Speaking
So if it is a machlokes, how do we pasken? The Pri Chodosh rules that we should follow the Rashba, and a brocha should be recited, in both cases, both for the shechita of a ben pekua, as well as for lighting to remove suspicion.
However, the Pri To’ar – authored by the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh – quotes this ruling of the Pri Chodsoh, and argues. He writes that, on the contrary, we should follow the Ran, and a brocha should not be recited, both for the shechita of a ben pekua, as well as for lighting to remove suspicion.
To be continued...
Rabbi Scheiner
