Hot answers tagged candle-lighting
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Yes, we always light Shabbat candles, and at the usual time (non-primary source). The only time a holiday affects candle-lighting is that on the second day of a two-day holiday, so long as the second day is not also Shabbat, you don't light the second-day candles until dark so as not to encroach the first day.
For Shabbat immediately after a holiday, or ...
10
There's an article on the subject at Hirhurim, by Rabbi Ari Enkin. He cites two reasons that are given for the 18-minute figure:
It's based on a Gemara in Shabbos (35b), where it says that six shofar blasts were blown to announce that Shabbos will be starting soon; the third one is the signal for lighting candles, then "he waits as much time as it takes to ...
9
The oldest source I could find is the Likutei MaHarich - (110 years ago). I recall hearing that the custom started, since the Halacha is that if the lady forgot to light one week she has to add a candle in future weeks, often when a lady gave birth they were busy and forgot. (Childbirth was not as easy years ago). Due to this they added a candle and today it ...
9
There seem to be different views.
On the one hand Chabad are solidly in favour, see here. A reason is suggested why the custom is not prevalent.
On the other, Rabbi Eli Mansour at dailyhalacha.com says “…Therefore, the prevalent practice is that the unmarried daughters living in the home do not light Shabbat candles, and instead rely on the mother’s ...
7
This custom is mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch (OC 610:1). It is supposed to serve as a reminder to avoid marital relations on Yom Kippur. It is common to allow at least some light into the bedroom: see "The Laws of Lighting Candles for Yom Kippur" by R' Yosef Zimbal.
6
In SA OC Siman 263 M"A Sif-Katan 12 he writes that if one makes the bracha before lighting (on Shabbos) then that's considered to be "Kabbalas Shabbos" and it's then ossur to light candles. However he then says if that's the case ("v'im cain"), then on Yom Tov one should make the bracha and then light. (Since there is no problem of lighting a candle on yom ...
6
The reason why we light candles a few minutes early (18 minutes) is in order to avoid any possibility of starting Shabbat late. Think of it as a train leaving the station. If you're one minute late, you missed it.
By the way, though most communities light Shabbat candles 18 minutes before sunset, local custom may vary. For instance in Jerusalem, the custom ...
5
To supplement, not supplant, WAF's good answer, which indicated that the reason for two candles is that they correspond to "זכור" and "שמור", I'll note that on holidays two are lit also, corresponding to man and woman. (I don't pretend to understand this correspondence, but that's what Taame Haminhagim 260 says, citing the Eliyahu Raba. He (TH, in the ...
5
The purpose of lighting is to prepare for shabas in a respectable way and provide visibility during the night. The former is a fulfillment of the rabbinic requirement to "honor" shabas, and the latter is a fulfillment of the rabbinic requirement to "enjoy" shabas. Notably for both of these considerations, the Ramba"m states that the requirement is "that a ...
5
If she just lit them but didn't yet say the bracha, and it's still before sunset, she hasn't yet accepted Shabbat. So relight them and then make the bracha.
If she already made the bracha but it's still before sunset, she can't relight them because she accepted Shabbat. But if her husband is still home and hasn't accepted Shabbat yet for himself (he ...
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See the fuller question for far more. But for a quick answer on Barrow specifically, here's the Star-K:
WINTER:
For example, in Barrow located at the northern tip of Alaska, on December 1 the sun does not rise. However, at 1:15 p.m. there is the most sunlight of the day 30 (theoretical chatzos hayom [=noon]). Therefore, one may daven
Shachris and ...
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This is mentioned in the following places. Darchei Moshe 263:1, Rama 1, Shulchan Aruch HaRav 1, Chayai Adam Shabbos 5:13, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 75:14, Aruch HaShulchan 11, Kaf HaChaim 10. If she forgot many times then she adds for each time she forgot Magen Avraham 3, Shulchan Aruch Harav 1, Chayai Adam ibid, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 75:14, Mishnah Berurah 7, ...
5
The Aruch haShulchan writes (OC 695:8):
ומצוה להרבות בנרות לפנות ערב, כדכתיב: "ליהודים היתה אורה"
It is a Mitzva to add candles in the evening, as it says: The Jews had light
He doesn't source himself and I haven't seen this anywhere else. It would seem he is using the word 'Mitzva' here quite loosely.
4
Dr. Yehudah (Leo) Levi, in his Jewish Chrononomy (Hebrew section, p. מ, third footnote) cites two reasons that have been suggested for the 18-minute standard:
It is in deference to the opinion of Sefer Yereim that twilight (bein hashemashos) begins a 3/4-mil walk before sunset (not after it, as in other opinions). Opinions on the length of time it takes to ...
4
Say it only during kiddush. The women too should only say it during kiddush. Why would one assume the two would be any different? They are both obligated in kiddush and both obligated to have the lights lit. The Talmud in Sukkah (47b) implies already that the shehechiyanu is said with the kiddush. (The Tur OC 519 deems it an "enactment of [the sages] to say ...
4
I can't say I've ever seen this practiced, but lighting candles in one's bedroom is certainly a traditional thing to do on Yom Kippur. The Mishna (Pesachim 4:4) rules that some places light Yom Kippur candles and some places don't. The explanation always given (see, for example, the commentary of Rav Ovadia of Bartenura) is that marital relations are ...
3
Indeed the custom here in Jerusalem is to light candels 40 minutes before Shekiah. The current Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, Rabbi Moishe Shternbuch discusses the source of this custom in his book Moadim U'Zmanim (vol 8, siman 156). I will try to elaborate more on this after Shabbos if I remember!
3
R' Eylashiv that in such a situation one shouldn't light, and if one did, he wouldn't be yotzei. Therefore, he advises people not to stay in such a place over Chanuka.
If one cannot light, then if one could see someone elses' lit candle, say "She'asah Nissim" and "Shehechiyanu".
If one is far from any Jews and can't see any candle, one shouldn't make any ...
3
Technically, yes. Candles should be lit on the Yom Tov or Shabbos table, or at the very least in the same room (unless there is a danger, such as young children who can get hurt). Succos would be no exception (barring any danger of course). Also, the Succah is meant to be like your home so everything important should ideally be done there (including, for ...
3
Lechatchila, one should light Shabbat and Yom Tov candles where one is going to eat (Shulchan Aruch 273:7 and Mishna Berura there), which in this case is the Sukkah. However, the Talmud (Sukkah 29a) explicitly forbids keeping lit candles in a small Sukkah and this is codified in Shulchan Aruch (OC 639:1). The Mishna Berura there (sk 8) is clear that this ...
3
The reason why candles that were lit for the previous night of Chanuka must be extinguished and re-lit is, (as Shulchan Aruch OC 675 explains) because "hadloka oseh mitzvah". That is, the mitzvah of Chanuka candles is not the fact that they are lit, but rather the actual act of lighting. The Gemora (Shabbos 23a) derives this from the fact that the brocha we ...
3
The Shulchan Aruch (673:2) rules (based on the discussion in the Talmud Shabbat 21a-b) that if a Chanukkah candle goes out after lighting it, even on Friday before Shabbat starts, one need not relight it because the mitzva was already accomplished after lighting.
The Taz there (sk 10) recommends relighting it anyway (without a bracha) to 'complete the ...
2
Did you ask the hotel management if there's some other place where you could light? My understanding is that second choice after wherever you're sleeping is wherever you're eating. Perhaps you could find a place (maybe even outside) where you could light your menora and monitor it while you eat your dinner.
Another possibility: Get yourself invited to ...
2
Keep in mind that one is not allowed to start Shabos at a later time than the community's latest starting time. So if you "prove" that candle lighting should be 3 minutes later than the time that the community lights, you still can not start Shabos later than when the community does if you proof is not accepted. But if you are on the road or stuck in an ...
2
The time people generally light candles for Shabas is called candle-lighting time. I don't think that that really requires a source: it's standard use of the English language. That means that there may be different views as to what candle-lighting time (even at the same latitude and longitude): many in America use 18 minutes before sunset, but if a certain ...
2
The "candle-lighting" in the term (English translation of הדלקת נרות or ליכט בענטשען) probably refers to the ritual act of lighting candles which is an obligatory act (first recorded by our sages) performed on each Friday evening, and not to the act of lighting candles in general and for other purposes.
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I have no source, but have heard that when Rav Yoel of Satmar came to America, he and his followers did follow Rabenu Tam. Rav Moshe Feinstein, the story goes, asked him if he could desist, explaining that Americans would follow his own view for the end of Shabas and Rav Yoel's for the start, and Rav Yoel agreed to.
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Due to the influence of the Vilna Gaon and subsequent poskim, the absolutely normative practice for mainstream Ashkenazim in North America is that Shabbos starts at sunset. Barring particularly unusual circumstances, that is our halachic norm and should be followed. It is at the very least minhag hamakom.
"Revive the minhag" is not the appropriate language ...
2
Rama Orach Chaim 672:2 says that even when you light it indoors in a place where those outside can not see the Menorah it should also be done on time.
Per Kav HaYashar 96 you should light as soon as possible, since Mitzva Habaa L'Yodcha Al Tachmitzena.
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The only reason we deliberately have new fruit or clothes is because we're saying it anyway on kidush or lighting: if you're (for whatever reason) not saying it on kidush or lighting, there's no reason to have new fruit or clothes. (Of course, if you do have new fruit or clothes, then you say shehecheyanu, same as on any weekday.)
Moreover, saying it at ...
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