Brooke Martin
Candles are lit to welcome all major Jewish holidays, including Passover or Pesach. The number of candles lit during the Passover Seder may vary depending on the day of the week and the specific customs being followed. On the second night of Passover, the candles are typically lit from an existing flame after the appearance of three stars, and blessings are recited. If the holiday falls during the week and the candles are not lit before sunset, they may still be lit afterward, but it is forbidden to strike a new match, and the candles must be lit from an existing flame.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| When to light the candles | Preferably, 18 minutes before sunset on the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan |
| Who should light the candles | Jewish women and girls |
| What to do if candles are not lit before sunset | They may be lit afterward, but they must be lit from an existing flame |
| What to recite before lighting the candles | "Boruch hamavdil beyn kodesh likodesh" ("Blessed is He who distinguishes between the holy and the holy") |
| What to do if the holiday coincides with Shabbat | A few words in parentheses are added to the blessing over the candles |
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What You'll Learn
- Candles are lit on the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan, 18 minutes before sunset
- If candles aren't lit before sunset, they can be lit after—but from an existing flame
- On the second night of Passover, candles are lit after the appearance of three stars
- The blessing Shehecheyanu is not recited on the seventh and eighth days of Passover
- The blessing for candle-lighting includes the phrase Boruch hamavdil beyn kodesh likodesh
Candles are lit on the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan, 18 minutes before sunset
Candles play a significant role in Jewish rituals, including the Passover (Pesach) or Seder. The holiday candles are typically lit by Jewish women and girls, who are considered responsible for bringing the light of the holiday into their homes.
The candles are lit on the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan, 18 minutes before sunset. This timing is considered ideal, but if the candles are not lit before sunset, Jewish law permits lighting them afterward. However, in such cases, 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 coincides with the Sabbath, candle lighting is delayed. It is customary to wait for the appearance of three stars before lighting the candles on such occasions. 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").
The candle lighting ritual is accompanied by specific blessings. The following blessings are recited before lighting the candles: "Boruch Atah A-donai E-loheinu Melech haolam asher kideshanu bimitzvosav vitzibanu lihadlik ner shel yom tov" and "Boruch Atah A-donai E-loheinu Melech haolam shehecheyanu vikiemanu vihigiyanu lizman hazeh." These blessings translate to: "Blessed are You, God, our Lord, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the festival lights" and "Blessed are You, God, our Lord, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion."
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If candles aren't lit before sunset, they can be lit after—but from an existing flame
Candles are lit to welcome all major Jewish holidays, including Passover (or Pesach). The candles are usually lit 18 minutes before sunset on the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan. However, if the candles are not lit before sunset, they can still be lit after sunset—but they must be lit from an existing flame. It is forbidden to strike a match on the holiday.
On the sixth day of Pesach, the candles should be lit 18 minutes before sunset. If that day falls during the week, and the candles weren't lit before sunset, they may be lit afterward from an existing flame. On the seventh day, the candles are lit after the appearance of three stars, and the blessing Shehecheyanu is not recited.
On the second night of Pesach, the candles are also lit from an existing flame after the appearance of three stars. The same blessings are recited as on the first night. When there is a Sabbath among the intermediate days of Pesach, candlelighting is carried out before sunset, in the same manner as on the other Sabbaths throughout the year.
The procedure for holiday candlelighting is the same as on Shabbat. The candles are lit from an existing flame, and the following blessings are recited before lighting:
> 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.
> 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.
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On the second night of Passover, candles are lit after the appearance of three stars
Candles are lit to welcome all major Jewish holidays, including Passover. The holiday candles should be lit on the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan, 18 minutes before sunset. 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. When the 14th of Nissan falls on the Sabbath, candlelighting is delayed until the appearance of three stars.
On the second night of Passover, the candles are lit from an existing flame after the appearance of three stars, and the same blessings are recited as on the first night. The blessings are as follows:
> 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.
> 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 procedure for lighting the candles is the same as on Shabbat, with the circling of the hands (three times) and the covering of the eyes. It is the Jewish women and girls who are granted the privilege and responsibility of ushering in the light of the holiday. Before lighting the candles, the women should recite the phrase:
> Boruch hamavdil beyn kodesh likodesh (Blessed is He who distinguishes between the holy and the holy).
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The blessing Shehecheyanu is not recited on the seventh and eighth days of Passover
Candles are lit to welcome major Jewish holidays, including Passover. The candles are lit from an existing flame, and blessings are recited before lighting them. The blessings include:
> 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.
Translated from Hebrew, this means:
> Blessed are You, God, our Lord, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the festival lights. Blessed are You, God, our Lord, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.
On the second night of Passover, the candles are lit from an existing flame after the appearance of three stars, and the same blessings are recited. However, on the seventh and eighth days of Passover, the blessing Shehecheyanu is not recited. This blessing, which translates to "who has granted us life", is usually said after kiddush instead of when lighting candles, but this is not done on Shabbat.
The procedure for lighting holiday candles is the same as on Shabbat, with the circling of the hands (three times) and the covering of the eyes. On Pesach, as on the Sabbath, it is Jewish women and girls who are responsible for lighting the candles. The candles should be lit 18 minutes before sunset on the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan. 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.
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The blessing for candle-lighting includes the phrase Boruch hamavdil beyn kodesh likodesh
The lighting of candles is an important ritual in Judaism, and the number of candles lit and the blessings recited vary depending on the occasion and day of the week.
On the sixth day of Pesach, the candles are lit 18 minutes before sunset. If candles are not lit before sunset, they may be lit afterward, but they must be lit from an existing flame. On the seventh day, the same rules apply. On the second night of Pesach, the candles are lit after the appearance of three stars, and the same blessings are recited.
The blessing for candle-lighting includes the phrase "Boruch hamavdil beyn kodesh likodesh," which translates to "Blessed is He who distinguishes between the holy and the holy." This blessing is recited before lighting the candles on the holiday of Pesach, specifically on the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan, 18 minutes before sunset. If the 14th of Nissan falls on the Sabbath, candlelighting is delayed until the appearance of three stars, and this blessing is recited.
The blessing "Boruch hamavdil beyn kodesh likodesh" is also recited in other contexts, such as on Shabbat. After Shabbat has ended, one can recite this blessing before lighting a candle to signify the distinction between the holy Shabbat and the ordinary days of the week. This blessing is part of the Havdalah ceremony, which marks the end of Shabbat and the beginning of a new week.
The number of candles lit during the Seder is not explicitly mentioned in the sources, but it is implied that multiple candles are lit, as the ritual involves "holiday candles" and "memorial candles." The lighting of candles is a privilege and responsibility granted to Jewish women and girls, who usher in the light of the holiday into their homes.
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