Q. A woman went last minute emergency shopping for extra last minute guest latMissed the Light? e before Shabbos began and then was held back in traffic and when she arrived home it was already to late to light candles, does she have to light next Shabbat an extra candle?
A. Indeed Shulchan Aruch (O.H. 263: 1) rules that a woman who forgot to light candles one Shabbos has to add as
a penalty one extra light from then on every Shabbos. Mishna Berura (7) mentions that if the case involved an out of control situation such as is she was held in prison, she is not penalized.
Poskim quote opinions if being stuck in traffic is considered an accident. They rule that it really depends on an individual assessment of each particular case by a competent Rov. (Kovets Mibeis Levy quoting Horav Wosner zi’l, Be’er Sorim 5: 76 quoting Horav Elyashiv zt’l).
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is similar.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller and Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu Shlit’a.