Lighting the
Sabbath Candles
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Please Note: On this page I will show the four letter
blessed *“Memorial Name” of
the Almighty in Ivrit - יְהוָה - Y-H-V-H, which we usually pronounce as “ADONAI” or “HaSHEM”. At all times please treat the
most blessed Name with the utmost sanctity, and when we even see the Name, we
should say לְעוֹלָם-שְׁמו- בָּרוּךְ- “Baruch Shem Le’Olam”
- “Blessed be His Name forever”!
“This is My Name Forever, and this is My Memorial to all
Generations.” Shemot - Exodus 3:15. (JPS).
“I am יְהוָה, that is My Name; and My glory will I not give
to another”.
Yeshayahu – Isaiah 42:8. (JPS)
Throughout this site I may use any of the following three versions of
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Colour coded details of the - TaNaKh: 1. Torah = History &
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*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical
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of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and
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Chronicles I & II.
Lighting the Sabbath Lights
With
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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The Sabbath offers a wonderful break from your everyday toils and thoughts. The Sabbath offers a twenty-four hour break, and a complete escape, time to spend time with your family, as well as going to Shul (Synagogue).
By lighting the Sabbath lights we bring into the home the peace and sanctity of Sabbath by lighting the candles every Friday evening as well as on the eve of any of the Jewish Holy Days (the Feasts).
These Sabbath candles bring a wonderful peace into our homes, and they add a very special light, as well as a much needed warmth to a world that these days tends to be sadly a rather dark, evil and a cold world.
The Sabbath is a special Mitzvot for the mother, as it is the mother who generally has the blessing of bringing the Sabbath into the home. The Sabbath nurtures the family, just like a mother nurtures her children. However, a man may also light the Sabbath lights, for as a Jewish man you might be living alone, etc, but do the same with the hands as described above.
After the candles are lit, the family will enjoy special quality time as everyone sits around the Sabbath table, with the Sabbath lights having the pride of place in the centre of the table. This is a time to be joyful in song and prayer saying the “Kiddush”, thanking the Almighty for the many blessings he has given us. On the Sabbath we enjoy a special, if not a festive meal, and we should dress up a little, as if we are dinning with a king, which you really are, for the Almighty is our Heavenly King! Israel is so fortunate to have a Divinely given Sabbath, for this the Seventh day is a weekly a retreat for the entire family, and that is the way it was always meant to be, a day that is set apart!
“How do I light Sabbath candles?”
1. Get Started:
If you have never done this before, or it has been a long time since doing so, make sure that you have a real hearts desire to do so!
Go to your local supermarket or if available a Jewish store and they will stock Sabbath candles; otherwise obtain some white candles, or even tea lights, but only if absolutely necessary. A Jewish supermarket will have Sabbath candles in a box, thus in a larger quantity, meaning they will be less expensive. Avoid tall candles, as they will burn too long. You’ll also need candlestick holders, and please use the very best you have. Silver is ideal. (Doing this mitzvah beautifully is also a blessed mitzvah!), otherwise an attractive glass/pottery or metal candlesticks can be obtained and they will be affordable.
Place the candlesticks on the dining room table closest to where the Kiddush leader sits, or where is best in your situation.
2. Light up:
You light the candles around eighteen minutes before sunset on Friday (Erev Shabbat).
3. Get Spiritual:
This is where you will feel a special blessing. With the candles lit, the person lighting them has a special role to play. Draw your hands with your palm facing inward (towards the face) three times to bring in the Sabbath spirit, then cover your eyes with your hands, and say the following blessing.
Say this Berakhot - Blessing;
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה, אֱלֹהֵינוּ, מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת
‘Ba’ruch ata LORD Elohenu Me’lech Ha’olam A’sher Kid’sha’nu Be’mitz’vo’tav Ve’tzi’vanu Le’had’lik ner Shel Shabbat.’
‘Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who has instructed us on the lighting of the Sabbath lights.’
Please Note: I know that it is hard to believe, but
nowhere in the Torah are we actually “instructed or “commanded”
to “light the Sabbath lights,” for this custom was added much
later by the rabbis. However, it does so wonderfully bring the
“Sabbath Sanctity” into our home.
For this reason, I have also provided an
alternative blessing, which I believe is far more inline with our beloved
Torah!
בָּרוּךְ
אַתָּה
יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵינוּ
מֶלֶךְ
הָעוֹלָם
אֲשֶׁר
קִדְּשָׁנוּ
בְּמִצְוֹתָיו
וְצִוָּנוּ
לְהַדְלִיק
אֶת מְנוֹרַת הַמִּקְדָּשׁ
שֶׁנֵּרוֹת
שַׁבָּת
אֵלּוּ
מְרַמְּזִים
לָהּ
‘Barūkh At’tāh Ado’nāi Elohēnu Me’lech Ha’Olām, A’sher Kid’shānu Be’mitz’vo’tāv, V’tzi’vānu Le’ha’de’līk Et Me’nō’rat Hami’kdāsh, She’nērōt Shabbāt ēllu Me’ram’zīm Lāh.’
“Blessed is LORD our God, King of the universe, who instructed us to light the Menorah in the Temple. We light these Sabbath lights as a representation of the Menorah. May these lights fill our home with Sabbath Peace?”
Through Prayer, and Torah, one comes to love God.
If we pray unto the Almighty God with love and sincerity, there is no such thing as an unanswered prayer.
“… The Torah commands us TO: “Love the LORD your God” Davarim - Deuteronomy 6:5. For the word ‘love,’ the Torah uses the perfect tense form ‘VeAhavta’ rather than the future form ‘TeEhov’. This shows us that we are commanded to endear God to others, and not only to love Him ourselves.
It says in the Sifri: “‘Love the LORD your God.’ This means you should endear God to others as our forefather Avraham did.’ It is known that by studying the Torah/Tanakh one comes to love God.” (Shem Olam, Chapter 22).
It is so wonderful to light the Sabbath lights, and I encourage you to set an example for not just yourself, but also for your loved ones, for you are a Hebrew!
Email me and I can send you an abbreviated Sabbath Kiddush for those who are commencing to light the Sabbath Lights. The rest of the Kiddush is of course clearly laid out in your Siddur.
Wishing you and your Mishpachah or mishpachah Mesbucha (family) “Shabbat Shalom”, may the Peace of the Almighty fill you, your family and your home!
Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim,
blessed be He, said
“Return unto Me, and I will
return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יָהוָה- the LORD of
hosts”. Mal’a’chi 3:7. MEC).
And Remember ...
Enjoy your Sabbath Rest - Shabbat Shalom!
אֲנִי
יָהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּחֻקּוֹתַי
לֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי
שִׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשׂוּ
אוֹתָם
וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, קַדֵּשׁוּ; וְהָיוּ
לְאוֹת, בֵּינִי
וּבֵינֵיכֶם-לָדַעַת, כִּי
אֲנִי יָהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
“I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יָהוָה (the LORD your God);
walk in My statutes, and
keep Mine ordinances, and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall be a
sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יָהוָה”. Yechezkel - Ezekiel
20:19-20. (JPS).
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“Hebraic Studies”
motto is as follows;
“The More
Torah, the More Life”,
For our Elohim is the One who gave us our ... Life!
May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom (Peace)
of צְבָאוֹת-יָהוָה (the LORD
of hosts) be with you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as
well as the ‘מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and continue saying
your daily תְּפִלָּה - Te’fee’lah (Prayers) and regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah (blessings) before food and
drinks, etc!
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben
Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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