Let There Be Light
August 23rd, 2006You see, I had a minor problem. I could no longer, safely, light Shabbos candles or any other candles or be near any kind of flame.
Why? I am waiting for a double-lung transplant and am now using oxygen to help me breathe. This precludes me from lighting our special Shabbos candles.
What to do? I thought there…where there’s a will, there’s a way.
I went to a good Chabad site and asked a scholar. I posed the question, ” What do I do if I cannot light candles?” The response, at first, was WHY could I not????
After the explanation there came the answer. An alternative. Simply turn off the light switch in the dining room (where I normally lit Shabbos candles) then flick it on, say the prayers and LEAVE the LIGHT ON.
Ah, so there you have it. Perhaps I cannot strike the match to entice the physical flame but I can create the Shabbos light within my soul, this house, our community, our collective Jewish neshama, one way or another.
Melody Masha Pierson/Montreal
