Jessie Taylor
The tradition of lighting Shabbat candles holds great significance in Judaism. It involves the lighting of candles on Friday evening before sunset to usher in the Jewish Sabbath, with the candles representing shamor (keep) and zakhor (remember). The blessing is recited after lighting the candles, and individuals are instructed to shield their eyes from the flames and utter prayers for themselves or others. The lighting of Shabbat candles is traditionally done by the woman of the household, but every Jew is obligated to either light or ensure that candles are lit. This ritual symbolises harmony in the home and Sabbath joy, with the candles meant to be lit in the room where the Sabbath meal is consumed.
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What You'll Learn
- The blessing is recited after the candles are lit
- The blessing is: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holy Shabbat
- Shabbat candles are lit on Friday evening before sunset
- The lighting of the candles is traditionally done by the woman of the household
- The candles should be lit in the room where the Sabbath meal will be eaten
The blessing is recited after the candles are lit
The lighting of the candles is traditionally done by the woman of the household, but every Jew is obligated to either light the candles or ensure that they are lit on their behalf. Girls can begin to kindle their own Shabbat candle when they are old enough to understand the significance of Shabbat and can say the blessing, which is around three years of age. The blessing is recited while shielding the eyes from the flame, and it is traditional to drop the match on a fireproof surface or give it to someone who has not yet accepted Shabbat.
The blessing is as follows:
> "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holy Shabbat."
After the blessing, you can softly utter prayers for yourself or others. It is important to note that you should not make use of the light, such as by eating or reading by it, as this may be considered a wasted and invalidated blessing. Once the candles are lit, they may not be moved until the conclusion of Shabbat, as fire is considered muktzeh (set aside and forbidden to move) on this day.
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The blessing is: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holy Shabbat
The blessing for Shabbat candles is: "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holy Shabbat". This blessing is recited after the candles have been lit, and it is considered auspicious for private prayer.
Shabbat candles are lit on Friday evening before sunset to welcome the Jewish Sabbath. Traditionally, the woman of the household lights the candles, but every Jew is obligated to light them or ensure they are lit on their behalf. At least two candles should be lit, representing the first words of the commandments concerning Shabbat: "shamor" ("keep") and "zakhor" ("remember"). These candles also symbolise the unity underlying all apparent duality, such as man and woman, body and soul, speech and silence, and creation and revelation.
The blessing is recited while shielding the eyes from the flame with hands. After the blessing, you can softly utter prayers for yourself or others. It is important to note that the light of the candles should not be used for activities like eating or reading, as it may be considered a wasted blessing.
If actual candles are unavailable, an electric light or gas lamp can be used for the blessing.
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Shabbat candles are lit on Friday evening before sunset
At least two candles should be lit, representing "shamor" ("keep") and "zakhor" ("remember"), the first words of the commandments concerning Shabbat. It is permissible and meritorious to light more than two candles. Some people light an additional candle for each child in their family. Once a certain number of candles are lit, it is customary never to reduce that number.
The candles must be lit before the official starting time of Shabbat, which varies from place to place but is generally 18 or 20 minutes before sunset. In some places, the customary time is earlier, such as 30 minutes before sunset in Haifa and 40 minutes in Jerusalem.
After lighting the candles, one should not put out the match but rather drop it on a fireproof surface or give it to someone who has not yet accepted Shabbat. Then, shield your eyes from the flames with your hands and recite the blessing. Once the blessing is complete, you can uncover your eyes and greet your family with "Good Shabbos" or "Shabbat Shalom".
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The lighting of the candles is traditionally done by the woman of the household
The candles are lit on Friday evening before sunset to usher in the Jewish Sabbath. The ideal is to light actual candles, but if this is impossible, an electric light can be used. At least two candles should be lit, representing "shamor" ("keep") and "zakhor" ("remember"), the first words of the commandments concerning Shabbat. It is permissible to light more than two candles, and some people light an additional candle for each child in the family.
The woman lighting the candles should do so in the place where she will be eating dinner, and she should light the candles before reciting the blessing. After lighting the candles, she should not put out the match but should drop it on a fireproof surface or give it to someone who has not yet accepted Shabbat. She should then shield her eyes from the flames and recite the blessing. Once the blessing has been recited, she can uncover her eyes and greet her family with "Good Shabbos" or "Shabbat Shalom".
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The candles should be lit in the room where the Sabbath meal will be eaten
The Shabbat candles are lit on Friday evening before sunset to welcome the Jewish Sabbath. The lighting of the candles is traditionally done by the woman of the household, but every Jew is obligated to either light them or ensure that they are lit on their behalf. The ideal number of candles to light is two, which represent the first words of the commandments concerning Shabbat: "shamor" ("keep") and "zakhor" ("remember"). However, it is permissible and meritorious to light more than two candles. For example, some people light an additional candle for each child in their family.
It is important to note that the candles must be lit before reciting the blessing. After lighting the candles, one should not put out the match but instead drop it on a fireproof surface or give it to someone who has not yet accepted Shabbat. Then, one can shield their eyes from the flame and recite the blessing, and greet their family with "Good Shabbos" or "Shabbat Shalom." Once the candles are lit, one has accepted Shabbat and should not move the candles or candlesticks until its conclusion.
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Frequently asked questions
The candles must be lit before the official starting time of Shabbat, which varies from place to place, but is generally 18 or 20 minutes before sunset. In Haifa, the custom is 30 minutes before sunset, and in Jerusalem, it is 40 minutes before sunset.
The blessing is: "Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holy Shabbat." In Hebrew, this is: "בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אַדֹנָ-י אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת קֹדֶשׁ".
Lighting Shabbat candles is traditionally done by the woman of the household, but every Jew is obligated to either light or ensure that candles are lit on their behalf. At least two candles should be lit, representing "shamor" ("keep") and "zakhor" ("remember"), the first words of the commandments concerning Shabbat. It is permissible and meritorious to light more than two candles.
