- Shabbat candles
Lighting Shabbat candles (Hebrew: נרות שבת) is a rabbinically mandated law in Judaism. ["
Shulchan Aruch ", "Orach Chayim " 263:2] Two candles or more are lit on Friday evening, 18 minutes before sundown, to welcome theSabbath . Candlelighting is traditionally done by the woman of the household, though in the absence of a woman, it is done by a man. After lighting the candles, the woman waves her hands over them, covers her eyes, and recites a blessing. [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/Shabbat2.html]ource of the commandment
Most rabbinic authorites hold that the requirement to light the "Shabbat" candles is of rabbinic origin. [
Maimonidies "Hilchot Shabbat" 5:1] [Meiri,Talmud Shabbat 25b]According to the rabbis, the lighting Shabbat candles has a dual purpose:
# To "honor the "Shabbat" (כבוד שבת)
# ForShalom bayit or domestic tranquility (שלום בית)In some households, more than two candles are lit. Some families light an additional candle for each child. Lighting the candles is known as "licht bentshen" in
Yiddish . It is customary for a woman to light the candles, but if there is no woman in the household, a man may light them.ource of the commandment
Most rabbinic authorites hold that the requirement to light the "Shabbat" candles is of rabbinic origin. [
Maimonidies "Hilchot Shabbat" 5:1] [Meiri,Talmud Shabbat 25b]Blessings
:"ברוך אתה ה אלוקינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להדליק נר של שבת":"Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha‑olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Shabbat".: "Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the Shabbat candle [s] ."
The
Chabad version of the blessing adds the word "kodesh" ("holy") at the end of the blessing, making "... the candle of the holy Shabbat," ("ner shel Shabbat kodesh").References
External links
* [http://www.chabad.org/calendar/location.asp?AID=6226&tdate= Find the candlelighting time in your location]
* [http://www.jewishmag.com/109mag/chanukalighting/chanukalighting.htm Blessing Shabbat and Chanukah candles]
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