Question:
Can A person keep a candle burning for a departed parent beyond Shiva? Is there a source for such a practice? Having a candle lit for a departed love one for the first year? This is to give NACHAS to the departed person? What are the sources?
Answer:
There is a sources for keeping a candle lit in shul (preferably the one the deceased davened in) throughout the first 12 months. It is preferable to mention the name of the niftar before lighting the candle.
I heard from contemporary poskim, that nowadays that we have electric lights, and there isn’t really going to be any extra torah learning done because of this lit candle. Therefore it is better to pay the shul for the electric of one of the lights, (even though it won’t be lit 24hrs. a day). This way the davening and torah learning will be a zechus for the deceased.
Sources:
Maaror Yabok Maamar Sefas Emes Chap. 15, Nitei Gavriel Aveilus vol. 2 pg. 473.
