Chloe Adams
Candles are lit to welcome all major Jewish holidays, including Passover, and Jewish women and girls are traditionally responsible for this task. The number of candles lit depends on the day of Passover and whether it falls on a weekday or the Sabbath. On the first and last days of Passover, candles are lit, and blessings are recited. If it falls on a weekday, the candles are lit after dark, but if it falls on the Sabbath, the candles are lit before sunset, and the blessing is adjusted to mention the Shabbat. On the second night of Passover, the candles are lit after the appearance of three stars, and the same blessings are recited.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who lights the candles | Jewish women and girls |
| When to light the candles | On the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan, 18 minutes before sunset |
| Source of lighting | Existing flame |
| Blessings | "Boruch hamavdil beyn kodesh likodesh" (Blessed is He who distinguishes between the holy and the holy) |
| Other blessings | "Blessed are You, G‑d, our L‑rd, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the festival lights" |
| "Blessed are You, G‑d, our L‑rd, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion" | |
| "to kindle the lights of the Festival" | |
| Shehecheyanu ("who has granted us life") | |
| "to kindle the lights of Shabbat and of the Festival" |
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What You'll Learn
Candles are lit by Jewish women and girls
Candles are lit to welcome all major Jewish holidays, including Passover, and it is the Jewish women and girls who are granted the privilege and responsibility of lighting the candles. This is one of the three mitzvot (special deeds) that Jewish women are obligated to perform, the other two being Hafrashat Challah (separating the Challah bread for Shabbat) and observing Family Purity.
The candles are lit from an existing flame, and certain blessings are recited before lighting them. The standard blessing for festival candles when Passover falls on a regular weekday is:
> Blessed are you, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holiday.
On the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan, 18 minutes before sunset, the holiday candles should be lit. If the candles are not lit before sunset, they may still be lit afterward, but they must be lit from an existing flame. It is forbidden to strike a match on the holiday. When the 14th of Nissan falls on the Sabbath, candle lighting is delayed until the appearance of three stars.
On the second night of Pesach, the candles are lit from an existing flame after the appearance of three stars, and the same blessings are recited. When there is a Sabbath among the intermediate days of Pesach, candle lighting is carried out before sunset, similar to other Sabbaths throughout the year.
On the sixth day of Pesach, 18 minutes before sunset, the candles should be lit for the seventh day. If the candles are not lit before sunset, they may still be lit afterward from an existing flame. On the evening of the eighth day of Pesach, candles are lit from an existing flame after the appearance of three stars. On these two days, the blessing Shehecheyanu is not recited.
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The candles are lit from an existing flame
Candles play a significant role in Jewish holidays, including Passover. Jewish women and girls are responsible for lighting the holiday candles, which should ideally be done on the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan, 18 minutes before sunset. If the candles are not lit before sunset, they can still be lit afterwards, but it is forbidden to strike a match on the holiday. Instead, the candles are lit from an existing flame.
The lighting of candles for Passover follows specific procedures and blessings. Before lighting the candles, the women recite the phrase, "Boruch hamavdil beyn kodesh likodesh" ("Blessed is He who distinguishes between the holy and the holy"). This blessing sets the tone for the sacred ritual of candle lighting.
On the second night of Passover, also known as Pesach, the candles are lit from an existing flame. This is done after the appearance of three stars, and the same blessings are recited as on the first night. The blessings include the standard festival candle blessing: "Blessed are you, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holiday."
The sixth day of Pesach also holds significance. Eighteen minutes before sunset on this day, the candles are lit for the seventh day. If this day falls during the week, and the candles were not lit before sunset, they can still be lit from an existing flame after sunset. This practice ensures that the ritual of candle lighting is not missed, even if the timing is not ideal.
The existing flame used for lighting the candles can come from various sources. One option is to light a long-burning candle, also known as a yahrtzeit candle, before Shabbat. This pre-existing flame can then be used to light the holiday candles on Saturday night. Alternatively, a gas stove that was lit before the start of the holiday can be used as the source of the existing flame. These practices ensure that the holiness of the holiday is maintained, and no new flame is kindled during the sacred period.
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The blessing, to kindle the lights of the Festival
The Festival of Passover, or Pesach, is a Jewish holiday that involves the lighting of candles to welcome it. The blessing, "to kindle the lights of the Festival", is recited as part of the ritual. This is a special deed, or mitzvah, that is performed by Jewish women and girls who have the privilege and responsibility of bringing the light of the holiday into their homes.
The Festival blessing is recited before the lighting of the candles, and it goes as follows:
> "Blessed are You, G‑d, our L‑rd, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the festival lights."
> "Blessed are You, G‑d, our L‑rd, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion."
The candles are lit from an existing flame, and if the Festival occurs on a weekday, the candles are lit after dark. If the candles are not lit before sunset, they may still be lit afterwards, but they must be lit from an existing flame. It is forbidden to strike a match on the holiday.
On the second night of Passover, the candles are lit after the appearance of three stars, and the same blessings are recited. When the Festival falls on the Sabbath, the candle lighting is delayed until the appearance of three stars, and the blessing is adjusted to include a mention of Shabbat: "to kindle the lights of Shabbat and of the Festival."
The lighting of candles is a meaningful tradition that ushers in the joy and light of the Passover celebration, honouring the sanctity of the holiday and the commandments that guide the Jewish faith.
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The candles are lit on the sixth and eighth days of Pesach
The lighting of candles is an important part of the Jewish festival of Passover (Pesach). It is the responsibility of Jewish women and girls to light the holiday candles, bringing the light of the festival into their homes.
On the sixth day of Pesach, eighteen minutes before sunset, candles should be lit for the seventh day. If the candles are not lit before sunset, they can still be lit from an existing flame after sunset.
On the eighth day of Pesach, candles are lit from an existing flame after the appearance of three stars. On these two days, the blessing Shehecheyanu is not recited.
The standard blessing for festival candles is:
> "Barukh attah adonai, eloheinu, melekh ha-olam, asher kidd'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivvanu l'hadlik neir shel yom tov"
Translated as:
> "Praised are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who, sanctifying us with divine commandments, has commanded us to kindle the festival lamp."
Before lighting the candles, women recite the phrase:
> "Boruch hamavdil beyn kodesh likodesh"
Translated as:
> "Blessed is He who distinguishes between the holy and the holy."
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The candles are lit after sunset
Candles are lit to welcome all of the major Jewish holidays, including Passover. The number and type of candles lit depend on the day of Passover and whether it coincides with Shabbat.
On the first and last days of Passover, candles are lit by Jewish women and girls, who are granted the privilege and responsibility of ushering in the light of the holiday. The standard blessing for festival candles is:
> Blessed are you, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holiday.
On the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan, the candles should ideally be lit 18 minutes before sunset. However, if they are not lit before sunset, they may still be lit afterwards. In this case, the candles must be lit from an existing flame, as it is forbidden to strike a match on the holiday.
When the 14th of Nissan falls on Shabbat, candlelighting is delayed until the appearance of three stars. On the second night of Passover, the same procedure is followed—candles are lit from an existing flame after the appearance of three stars. On these two days, the blessing Shehecheyanu ("who has granted us life") is not recited.
If Passover does not coincide with Shabbat, the woman of the house lights the candles after sunset, or as soon as it gets dark. She recites the blessings first and then kindles the lights.
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Frequently asked questions
Candles are lit on the first and last days of Passover. On the first day, one candle is lit by the woman of the house, and blessings are recited. On the second night, the candles are lit from an existing flame after the appearance of three stars, and the same blessings are recited.
Jewish women and girls are granted the privilege and responsibility of lighting the candles for Passover.
The candles should be lit 18 minutes before sunset on the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan. If the 14th falls on a Sabbath, candle lighting is delayed until three stars appear.
The blessings recited are:
- Boruch Atah A-donai E-loheinu Melech haolam asher kideshanu bimitzvosav vitzibanu lihadlik ner shel yom tov
- Boruch Atah A-donai E-loheinu Melech haolam shehecheyanu vikiemanu vihigiyanu lizman hazeh
