Ben Carter
Shabbat candles are lit on Friday evenings to usher in the Jewish Sabbath. Traditionally, the lighting of the candles was the responsibility of the woman of the household, but in contemporary egalitarian families, any adult can light the candles. The candles are usually wax candles or wicks floating in oil, and they are lit 18 minutes before sunset, although in some places, this time is earlier. The candles are lit to honour the Sabbath and to create a bright and cheerful ambiance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time to light the candles | 18 minutes before sunset on Friday, marking the beginning of Shabbat |
| Number of candles | Two, one for zahor and one for shamor |
| Type of candles | Wax candles or wicks floating in oil |
| Color of candles | White |
| Candle holders | Traditionally made of brass or silver, but can be made of glass, ceramic, or any other fire-safe material |
| Duration of burning | At least until you recite Hamotzi, the blessing over bread; some sources say two to three hours |
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What You'll Learn
Shabbat candles are traditionally lit by women
Shabbat candles are traditionally lit on Friday evening before sunset to usher in the Jewish Sabbath. The lighting of these candles is a rabbinically mandated law. The candles are traditionally lit by the woman of the household, although in households without an adult woman, a man takes on this responsibility. In contemporary egalitarian families, any adult in the house may light the candles, and often the whole family will do it together.
The woman of the house typically lights two candles, with some women choosing to add an extra candle for each child. The candles are lit in the place where dinner will be eaten, and if another woman wishes to light candles, she may do so in a different room. The candles are usually wax candles or wicks floating in oil, and they must be lit before the official start of Shabbat, which varies from place to place. The blessing is never described by Talmudic sources, but it was introduced by Geonim to emphasise the rejection of the early Karaitic belief that lights could not be lit before the Sabbath.
The lighting of Shabbat candles is a mitzvah, a commandment, and it is said that the candles bring illumination to a world that often seems dark and negative. The candles are also a metaphor for the Torah and the human soul. The candles are lit to honour the Shabbat and to ensure that the evening is not spent in darkness. The Talmud states that the woman is the hostess who ushers in the Shabbat, as she is usually the one who is most present in the home and looks after household matters.
The lighting of Shabbat candles is steeped in tradition and ritual, with many customs and practices surrounding it. The candles are lit to bring light and sanctity to the home, and to create a bright and cheerful ambiance. The candles must burn for at least two to three hours, until the blessing over the bread is recited.
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They are lit 18 minutes before sunset
Shabbat candles are lit to honour the Jewish Sabbath, and to ensure that the evening is not spent in darkness. The candles are lit on Friday evening, at sunset, to mark the beginning of Shabbat.
The timing of sunset varies from location to location and throughout the year. The standard practice is to light the candles 18 minutes before sunset, although some communities light them earlier. The earliest one may light Shabbat candles is 75 minutes before sunset. In Haifa, the custom is to light them 30 minutes before sunset, and in Jerusalem, 40 minutes before. The reason for this earlier lighting in these cities may be that mountains obstructed the horizon, making it difficult to know when sunset had arrived.
The lighting of Shabbat candles is a rabbinically mandated law, and it is traditionally the obligation of the woman of the household. In households without an adult woman, a man takes over the responsibility. In contemporary egalitarian families, any adult in the house may light the candles, and often the whole family will do it together.
The candles are usually wax candles or wicks floating in oil. The woman typically lights two candles, and many add an extra candle for each child. The candles must burn for at least the duration of the blessing over bread, and some sources say they should burn for two to three hours.
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They are lit to honour and enjoy Shabbat
Shabbat candles are lit to honour and enjoy Shabbat. The lighting of the candles is a rabbinically mandated law and a rabbinic commandment. The candles are lit on Friday evening before sunset to usher in the Jewish Sabbath, also known as Shabbat. The standard practice is to light the candles 18 minutes before sunset, although some communities do so even earlier. For example, in Haifa, the custom is to light the candles 30 minutes before sunset, and in Jerusalem, it is 40 minutes before sunset. The candles must be lit before the official starting time of Shabbat, which varies from place to place.
The lighting of Shabbat candles is traditionally done by the woman of the household, but in contemporary egalitarian families, any adult in the house may light the candles, and it is often done by the family together. The woman typically lights two candles, and many women add an additional candle for each child. The candles are usually made of wax or wicks floating in oil, and they are placed in a candlestick, or "leichter" in Yiddish, which can be made of brass, silver, glass, ceramic, or any other fire-safe material.
The purpose of lighting Shabbat candles is to dignify the Sabbath and bring light and delight into the home. Before the advent of electric lighting, it was necessary to light lamps to create an appropriate environment for the meal, as it would otherwise be difficult to enjoy the meal in the dark. The candles also serve as a metaphor for the Torah and the human soul, representing the light and illumination that the Torah brings into the world through its study and observance.
The lighting of Shabbat candles is a sacred and meaningful tradition that has been practised for centuries. It is a way to honour the Sabbath, create a cheerful and dignified atmosphere, and bring spiritual light and peace into the home.
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They are usually wax candles or wicks floating in oil
Shabbat candles are lit on Friday evenings before sunset to usher in the Jewish Sabbath. The candles are lit 18 minutes before sunset, although in some places, the custom is earlier, for instance, 30 minutes before sunset in Haifa and 40 minutes in Jerusalem. The candles must be lit before the official start of Shabbat.
Shabbat lights are usually wax candles or wicks floating in oil. The use of olive oil is popular because only pure olive oil was used to light the menorah in the Beit Hamikdash. The Shulchan Aruch states that it is preferable to light with olive oil, as it burns with a particularly bright and steady flame. The Talmud also mentions that just as an olive tree never loses its leaves, the nation of Israel will never be destroyed.
The lighting of the candles is referred to as licht bentschen ("light-blessing") or licht tsinden ("light-kindling") in Yiddish. The candles are traditionally lit by the woman of the household, although in contemporary egalitarian families, any adult may light the candles. The woman typically lights two candles, with an additional candle for each child. The candles are lit in the place where she will be eating dinner.
The candles are lit to honour and enjoy Shabbat, lending dignity to the gathering and brightening the meal. The candles are also a metaphor for the Torah and the human soul. The spiritual glow that comes into the home upon lighting the candles is available to all.
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They are lit before the official start of Shabbat
Shabbat candles are lit to honour and dignify the Sabbath. The lighting of the candles is a rabbinically mandated law and is one of the seven rabbinic commandments. The candles are lit before sunset on Friday, which marks the official start of Shabbat. The timing of this window varies from location to location, but it is generally 18 to 20 minutes before sunset. In some places, the customary time is earlier, such as in Haifa, where it is 30 minutes before sunset, and in Jerusalem, where it is 40 minutes before sunset. This variation in timing may be due to the mountains in these cities, which could have made it difficult to determine the exact time of sunset in the past.
The act of lighting Shabbat candles is traditionally done by the woman of the household, as she is usually the hostess who is more often present in the home and looks after household matters. However, in contemporary egalitarian families, any adult in the house may light the candles, and it is often done by the family together. The number of candles lit varies, with the basic custom being that the woman of the house lights two candles, representing "remember the Sabbath day" from Exodus 20:8 and "observe the Sabbath day" from Deuteronomy 5:12. Some women add an additional candle for each child.
The candles used for Shabbat are typically wax candles or wicks floating in oil, preferably olive oil, as it burns with a bright and steady flame and was used to light the menorah in the Beit Hamikdash. The candles are often placed in a candlestick made of fire-safe material such as glass, ceramic, brass, or silver. It is considered important to light the candles in a safe place, away from flammable items, especially if they will be left to burn down completely.
The lighting of Shabbat candles is a significant ritual that dates back to ancient times. It is mentioned in rabbinic literature and has been a part of Jewish tradition for centuries. The candles are lit to bring light and dignity to the gathering and to brighten the meal, creating a cheerful ambiance. The candles are also a metaphor for the Torah and the human soul, representing the illumination that studying the Torah brings to the world.
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Frequently asked questions
The candles are usually white.
Wax candles or wicks floating in oil are typically used for Shabbat.
Two candles are usually lit, one for 'zachor' and one for 'shamor'. However, it is common for women to add an additional candle for each child.
Shabbat candles are lit on Friday evening, ideally 18 minutes before sunset.
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