For Jewish people worldwide, Shabbat is the spiritual anchor of their week. This weekly holiday offers a respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life. It’s a welcome obligation to step away from technology and work and instead focus on self-reflection and improvement.
Each Shabbat begins with the lighting of the Shabbat candles. If you’d like to begin a weekly Shabbat practice, it’s important to learn how to do so. Read on to learn how to light the Shabbat candles and other essential information about Shabbat.
What is Shabbat?
Shabbat is the Jewish holy day of rest, celebrated from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. It’s a weekly holiday that commemorates the Torah’s story of creation. God created the world in one week. For the first six days, God created, and on the seventh day, God rested. To honor that, we rest on the seventh day of each week, too.
How exactly Shabbat is celebrated varies depending on the denomination of Judaism that a person practices. For Orthodox communities, Shabbat is a time to abstain from all forms of work, electricity, technology, and more, and instead focus on prayer. For less strict communities, Shabbat may simply be a time to share a meal with family and friends.
The Friday Night Ceremony
Shabbat begins with a ceremony on Friday night. It’s designed to welcome Shabbat and mark the transition from everyday life to holy time. It begins with the lighting of the Shabbat candles, a tradition we’ll unpack. Then, we recite the Kiddush, a special prayer, drink wine or grape juice, and eat challah. Finally, we eat dinner.
Why Do We Light Shabbat Candles?
Every Shabbat begins with the lighting of the Shabbat candles and the recitation of the accompanying prayer. Like many things in Judaism, there’s no one clear explanation as to why we light candles. Common theories include:
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To provide light: Simply, lighting Shabbat candles provides a light source for the holiday. Beyond the Shabbat candles, starting and extinguishing fires is forbidden on Shabbat. Today, many people set up timers to turn the lights on and off automatically on Shabbat, but in ancient times that luxury wasn’t available. The Shabbat candles provided a much-needed source of light.
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As a source of metaphorical light: There are many ways this can be interpreted. The light from the Shabbat candles connects us to one another, when we would otherwise be disconnected. The Shabbat candles may also be seen as a symbol of hope and a bright spot in an often dark world.
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As an opportunity for reflection: The quiet moment candle lighting offers is a chance to look inward and reflect on the past week.
When to Light Shabbat Candles
The most common time to light Shabbat candles is 18 minutes before sunset begins. According to the Talmud, it’s a mitzvah, or good deed, to add a few extra minutes to Shabbat, Doing so shows the significance Shabbat holds in our hearts. We invite it in early, and we say goodbye to it late. For those who observe the holiday more strictly, adding a few extra minutes at the beginning and end also ensures they don’t accidentally break the rules of Shabbat.
Who Lights Shabbat Candles?
Lighting Shabbat candles is a central ritual that marks the beginning of Shabbat. While it has traditionally been associated with women in the home, today it’s a practice embraced by individuals and families in many different ways.
In many homes, one person takes on the role of lighting the candles each week, but there’s no single way to approach the ritual. Some families pass the tradition down through generations, while others share the responsibility or invite different members of the household to participate.
How to Light Shabbat Candles: Step-by-Step
Let’s get into it: how to light Shabbat candles. Follow these steps to complete this weekly ritual:
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Make sure you have at least 2 candles: Custom teaches that we should always light at least two Shabbat candles. This stretches back to the Torah, which teaches that we should 1) remember Shabbat and 2) keep it holy. We light one candle for each of these obligations.
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Place them in your candleholders: Candleholders safely hold your candles and are a beautiful addition to any table.
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Light the candles: Using matches or a lighter, light both candles in any order. Rather than put the match out, place it on a match dish to let it extinguish itself.
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Recite the blessings: Cover your eyes with your hands and recite the Shabbat blessings over the candles. More on that below.
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Let the candles burn: Once you recite the prayers, do not extinguish or move the candles. Instead, let them burn and extinguish themselves.
The Blessing Over Shabbat Candles
The blessing over the Shabbat candles thanks God for the commandment to light the candles on Shabbat. Its words are as follows:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אַדֹנָ-י אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת קֹדֶשׁ
Transliteration: Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam asher kiddushanu b’mitzvotav vitzivanu l’hadlik ner shell Shabbat.
Translation: Blessed are you, Lord our God, king of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the light of the Shabbat.
Shop Shabbat Essentials from Oneg Home
Lighting the Shabbat candles is just one of the many obligations of Shabbat. If you’d like to make Shabbat practice a regular part of your life, find the ritual objects you need to do so from Oneg Home. Our all-in-one Signature Shabbat Box includes Shabbat candles, candleholders, matches, challah cover and more. Plus, you’ll get accessible guiding materials to help you in your new practice.
Ready to begin your Shabbat practice?
