Lighting Neros on Yom Tov

We know that when melacha is allowed on Yom Tov, it is not a blanket 
heter. The melacha is allowed only if there is a *need* for that 
action. The poskim discuss which needs are legitimate, and which 
needs are insufficient to allow the melacha to be done. This post 
will discuss an application of this principle.

In Shmiras Shabbos K'Hilchasa, perek 62 note 31, Rav Shlomo Zalman 
Auerbach is quoted as questioning whether an avukah may be lit on for 
havdalah when Yom Tov falls on Motzaei Shabbos. He explains that this 
action is being done only for Hidur Mitzvah, not for Hanaah. He 
leaves it as a Tzarich Iyun.

That same footnote points to Shaar Hatziyun 435:9, which tells of a 
case where a person did not do Bedikas Chometz, and did not do a 
Bitul Chometz either, and it is now Yom Tov. Even though there's no 
question that such a person must now do a full Bedikah, including use 
of a Ner, he asks whether a ner may be lit specifically for this 
purpose if it is during the daytime. My guess is that the problem is 
that because it is daytime, he's not really getting any use from the 
candle's light. He leaves this question as a Tzarich Iyun.

So we have two cases about lighting a fire on Yom Tov specifically 
for a mitzvah, not for actual use. Both are left as a "Tzarich Iyun". 
This leads me to wonder about yet another case of lighting a candle 
on Yom Tov only for a mitzvah, not for personal use:

Namely, the Yom Tov candles themselves. Sometimes they are lit before 
Yom Tov, but sometimes we light them on Yom Tov itself. (See footnote 
1 for more details.)

In virtually all of our homes, the room is already full of electric 
light. I really do not need any more light. Unless I had a timer turn 
off the electric lights for the time period when the Neros are 
scheduled to be lit, the only reason I'm lighting is because of the 
mitzvah.

Is this melacha mutar? To me, this case seems similar to the other 
two cases, a Tzarich Iyun. 

It is undeniable that the whole world *does* light under these 
conditions, and has been doing so for decades. But what is the heter?

Are there any other poskim who deal with this question? In light of 
Shaar Hatziyun 435:9, how do we light Neros Yom Tov when the room is 
already full of electric light? Perhaps we must arrange things so 
that they are lit only in a dark room?

I do not mean to accuse Klal Yisroel of doing issurim for the past 
few decades. I'm only asking if anyone knows of any poskim who have 
discussed it. Perhaps the answer will be that this very case proves 
that such mitzvos DO constitute adequate tzorech for this halacha, 
thus resolving the "tzorech iyun" for Avukah for Yaknehaz, and of Ner 
for Bedikas Chometz as well.

Akiva Miller

(Footnote 1: Some have the minhag to always light Neros Yom Tov after 
Yom Tov has already started, so this question always applies to them. 
Others usually light beforehand (like on Shabbos) but even they often 
light on Yom Tov itself: Second night of Rosh Hashana, second night 
in galus, or when any night of Yom Tov is on Motzaei Shabbos. This 
question also applies to everyone regarding Ner Shabbos when Yom Tov 
is on Friday afternoon.)

(Footnote 2: I should point out that in Shmiras Shabbos K'Hilchasa, 
perek 43 note 171, Rav Auerbach focuses on this exact case, but he 
asks an entirely different question about it: He asks how the bracha 
may be said on such a lighting, since no hanaah will be gotten from 
those candles. He suggests, for several reasons, that the bracha may 
be said, but as I see it, this makes the Melacha L'Tzorech question 
even sharper. He explicitly writes that "leika klal shum simcha 
yeseira mizeh" - there is no extra simcha whatsoever from the neros, 
and the women light them only because it is an important mitzvah. So 
why is it more "l'tzorech" than bedikas chometz? His conclusion is 
unclear to me: He ends with both "ul'dvareinu nicha" and "v'adayin 
tzarich iyun" -- "according to our explanation it's okay" and "but it 
still needs more research".)

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