Chapter 75 : The Laws of Candle Lighting

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§1

Every person must put all work aside and light the Shabbos candles at least a half hour before the stars come out. If they recited Mizmor shir leyom haShabbos in the synagogue even though there is still two hours until night, nevertheless, the Shabbos laws become binding on the minority, and they are forbidden (to do) any manner of work. Even someone who arrives from another city, is obliged to observe the [laws of] Shabbos as soon as the congregation has said, Mizmor shir leyom haShabbos. In a city that has two synagogues, one is not bound by the other.

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§2

It is a mitzvah to (light) many candles in honor of the Shabbos. Some are accustomed to light ten (candles) and others light seven (candles). And in no event should less than two candles [be lit] symbolizing [the verses:] Zachor [Remember] and Shamor [Preserve]. In time of pressing need even one (candle) is sufficient. The candles should be long (enough) to burn at least until after the meal. And you should endeavor to buy the best candles, for Rav Huna said: "He who habitually practices the lighting of Shabbos candles; who endeavors to buy the best ones, will have sons that are Torah scholars." As it says: "For the mitzvah is a candle and the Torah is a light." Through the mitzvah of the (Shabbos) candle will come the light of the Torah. It is, therefore, fitting for the woman to pray at candle lighting time that the Holy One, blessed is He, grant her sons who are bright in the study of Torah. Prior to lighting candles it is good to give some charity. A woman who has trouble raising her children, or who has no children at all, should recite the Haftarah of the first day of Rosh Hashanah after lighting the candles. It is good if she understand what she is saying, and she should say it with concentration.

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§3

It is a mitzvah done in its perfection to light with olive oil, but even the oil we commonly use that is called "Blumenol" is kosher. But among other oils, there are some that are not kosher. Regarding the wick too, it is best to use cotton, flax, or hemp; for among other materials there are some that are not kosher. And in our country we are accustomed to light with candles of tallow which are kosher. But putting a piece of fat into a vessel, and inserting a wick into it is forbidden for the purpose of candle lighting. The one who lights the candles must light them until the fire ignites most of the wick protruding from the candle. The same applies to candles made from tallow; the fire must ignite most of the wick that protrudes from the candle.

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§4

It has already been established that the berachah for all mitzvos must be said before doing the mitzvos. But [this does not apply to] lighting Shabbos candles, for by lighting the candles the woman ushers in the Shabbos; and since the berachah is the beginning of the lighting, if she makes the berachah first she will no longer be able to light the candles. Therefore, she first lights the candles, and in order that the berachah be said before doing [the mitzvah], she covers her face with her hands so that she doesn't see the candles and she says the berachah and removes her hands, and looks at the candles. In so doing, it is like saying the berachah before lighting the candles. (And in order not to differentiate, this procedure is also practiced on Yom Tov.) The important candles with which the Shabbos is welcomed are those that are on the table where the meal is served, and therefore she should light them last. And in time of need, as when she has to immerse herself in the mikvah, or go to a marriage ceremony, or for other important matters, she may light them with the stipulation that she is not assuming [the holiness of] Shabbos with the lighting (of the candles) and then she can say the berachah before lighting. In this regard, even a mental reservation is sufficient.

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§5

The mitzvah of lighting the candles is incumbent on both men and women, but women are urged to be more concerned with the mitzvah because they are usually at home at candle lighting time. The woman extinguished the light of the world when she caused Adam to sin and darkened his soul which is called light, as it is written, "The light of God is the soul of man." Therefore she must make amends for this by lighting candles in honor of Shabbos. Therefore if the woman is in her home she takes precedence in performing this mitzvah. Nevertheless the man should also assist with the mitzvah. He should prepare the candles and should singe them; that is, he should light them and extinguish them, making it easier to light them afterwards. After a woman gives birth, her husband should light the candles the first Shabbos and say the berachah, but after that and also each time she is a niddah, she should light them and say the berachah.

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§6

Before lighting candles women customarily wash themselves and dress up in Shabbos clothes. Fortunate are those who do so. She must recite the Minchah prayer before lighting candles, because by lighting candles she assumes the sacredness of Shabbos, and she can no longer pray the weekday Minchah prayer. If a woman was delayed by her occupation [or business], and came home close to a half hour before Shabbos, and if she would then wash and dress there would be a risk of desecrating the Shabbos, it is a greater mitzvah to light (the candles) as she is, rather than risk, Heaven forbid, a possible desecration of Shabbos. If the husband sees that she is late in coming home it is a great mitzvah for him to light the candles and to disregard her resentment.

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§7

When the man lights the candles, [knowing] that afterwards he must perform some task, it is also advisable that he stipulates that he does not assume the holiness of Shabbos with this lighting, but if he did not make this reservation, he is still permitted to do work after (lighting), because when the husband lights candles it is not ordinarily an act of ushering in the Shabbos.

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§8

Candles must be lit in the room where the meals are served in order to indicate that they were lit in honor of Shabbos. They should not be lit in one place and transferred to another place. However in time of pressing need, for instance when the woman is sick and unable to go to the table, she may light them at her bed, and they may be placed on the table in the house, because the whole house is considered their place. And women who light the candles in the sukkah and bring them into the house afterwards, are not doing the proper thing. A candle that was burning before Shabbos must be extinguished and then relit in honor of Shabbos, in order to make it clear that it is lit in honor of Shabbos.

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§9

You must light candles in all the rooms that are being used. If you are at home with your wife, since she says the berachah on the candles in one room, it is not necessary to say a berachah on the lighting (of candles) in the other rooms. But if you are in another place, where you have a room for yourself, you must light candles and say the berachah. If several men live in one room, they should all share the cost of buying candles. One of them should light them and say the berachah [and they must all listen to the berachah], and he should have in mind to include all of them in his berachah, and they should also have in mind to be included in his berachah. But if you do not have a private room but you are in one room with the host who is Jewish (who is lighting), you need not light candles since your wife is lighting for you at home. Unmarried students who are learning away from home, and have a private room, must light candles with a berachah, and they should also share (the cost of) buying candles. One of them should say the berachah and have them all in mind. It is necessary that the candles burn until they return to their room. And if they do not have a private room, since they have no wives to light candles for them, they must give a coin to the host in order to acquire a share in the candles. One who is supported by the host is considered one of the household and need not share in the cost of the candles.

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§10

It is a custom that even if many women light candles in one house, each one says the berachah on her (own) candles, because the more light, the more joy. However, care should be taken that two (women) should not light in one candelabra, but in times of pressing need we may be lenient even in this regard.

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§11

No water should be put — even by day [before Shabbos] — into the socket of the candlestick wherein you place the tallow or wax candle, so that it will be extinguished on reaching it; but in case of necessity, this rule may be waived provided the water is put there in daytime. But placing a vessel with water under a candelabra so that if sparks fall they will be extinguished — this is strictly forbidden even when placed when it is still daytime. But placing a vessel without water to intercept the sparks is permitted even after dark because sparks are not tangible. Placing a vessel to catch the dripping oil or fat is forbidden once it is dark, for should oil or tallow drip into the vessel, it would be forbidden to move the vessel. Consequently, you are neutralizing the vessel from its state of readiness, which is forbidden, because it is considered as though it were fastened there. But placing it there while it is still day is permitted. And if oil dripped into it you are forbidden to use the oil on Shabbos and you are not allowed to move the vessel. And if (oil) did not drip into it, it is not forbidden to move the vessel, merely because of intent.

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§12

It is best to put the challos on the table before you light the candles. See further in chapter 89, paragraph 2.

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§13

If a blind woman has a husband, he should light (the candles) and say the berachah. And if she doesn't have a husband and she lives alone she lights the candles and says the berachah. And if she lives in a house with others and they light candles, the blind (woman) lights her candles without a berachah. If she is the head of the household she lights first and says the berachah, and afterwards the others should light their candles and say the berachah.

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§14

If a woman once forgot to light the Shabbos candles, for the rest of her life she should light one candle more than she usually lit. And if she forgot several times she should always light an extra candle [for each time]. This is done to impress upon her to be more careful in the future; therefore, if it was due to an emergency that she did not light her candles, she need not light additional candles.