Yaknehaz יקנה"ז : Is it Kiddush or Havdalah, and Halachic solution for the Havdalah candle

Dear Rabbi, This year, Leil HaSeder falls on Motzei Shabbos. Should I sit as I usually do for Kiddush, or stand as I would for Havdalah? I've heard various customs regarding the Havdalah candle. What is Rav Frieds shittah on this subject?

Thank you for your question.

You are right; this year we have a very special Kiddush/Havdalah, and it doesn’t necessarily happen only on Pesach; it could happen on any Yom Tov that falls on Motzei Shabbos. This type of Kiddush is called Yaknehaz (an abbreviation of the five brachot that we recite): י' (Yayin - Wine), ק' (Kiddush), נ' (Ner - Candle), ה' (Havdalah), ז' (Zman - Shehecheyanu).

So, the question the poskim ask regarding Yaknehaz is whether it is considered primarily as Kiddush or Havdalah concerning specific halachot; so, is it Kiddush or Havdalah?

Hagaon Harav Amrom Fried, shelit"a, writes that concerning all the halachot involved, we regard it as Kiddush. For example:

1. Those who have the custom to sit during Kiddush and stand when reciting Havdalah would need to sit during the Kiddush on Leil HaSeder, even though it mentions Havdalah.
2. Even though women don’t usually drink from the wine of the Havdalah cup, they do drink from the Kiddush/Havdalah cup on Leil HaSeder since we regard it as wine from a Kiddush cup.
3. One fills the cup like by Kiddush and does not need to fill up the cup until it is overflowing like by Havdalah.

Hagaon Harav Fried, shelit"a, writes that the source of this halacha, that we regard it as Kiddush, is from Tosafot in Tractate Pesachim 106b, brought in halacha OC 296 and the Mishneh Berurah, seif katan 14. For such type of Kiddush (יקנה"ז), if one doesn’t have wine, one can recite it using bread or matzah (of course, when it is recited on Passover lei haseder, the halacha would be different for other reasons). Yet, we find that bread cannot be used for Havdalah, so we see that the Rishonim and Halacha regard יקנה"ז as Kiddush where bread can substitute wine.

The complicated part of this Kiddush is what to do with the fire since we recite the blessing Borei Meorei Ha'Esh; we need to have a fire. Generally, the Halacha is that one should use a fire of at least two wicks (אבוקה). Only if one does not have such a fire, then one may use a candle. Some hold two candles or two matches together; however, Hagaon Harav Fried, shelit"a, writes that this could be halachically problematic for a few reasons:

1. When one holds two candles together, some wax melts away, and this may be considered as gram kibbuy (causing to extinguish a fire).
2. It would be considered, by connecting the fires, as making a bigger fire which may not be permitted to do on Yom Tov in order to fulfill a mitzvah min hamuvchar.
3. When one then separates the two candles or matches, this may be considered as extinguishing a fire on Yom Tov since by separating them it causes it to be a smaller fire.

Therefore, in practice, in order to do the mitzvah in the most optimal way, one should prepare before Yom Tov a candle that will have two wicks, like taking a tea candle and adding another wick inside (one shouldn’t insert the second wick in the same hole as the original wick; then it would not be considered as two wicks, rather one thick wick). So, one should make another hole into the wax and insert the second wick inside it.

If one didn’t prepare a tealight in this manner before Yom Tov, then on Motsei Shabbos one should light one candle (from another lit fire) specifically for the Havdalah and then leave it lit.

Many have the custom to look at the Yom Tov candles when reciting the bracha. (The problem with doing so is that the Shulchan Aruch, Siman 298, Seif 2, writes that the Havdalah light should be an extra light besides the one used to light the room.)

However, those who do connect two candles for the bracha have poskim on whom to rely.

Wishing you a Chug Kosher Ve’Sameach.

1. Tosafot in Tractate Pesachim, 106b
2. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, 296
3. Mishneh Berurah, seif katan 14