Question:
I recently starting lighting candles for Shabbat. I would like to know the correct fashion to light and how many candles. Please could you also tell me when to recite the bracha, whether before or after lighting?
Answer:
The Ashkenazi practice is to say the Bracha of Hadlakas Nerot after lighting the candles. However, according to Sephardim, many poskim say that women should say the Bracha before lighting, however, some say that those who have the practice of saying it after lighting should continue their practice, and if a woman dones’t have a practice, she should say the bracha before lighting.
The Ohr Letzion (vol 2, 18:3), however, writes that a woman who has the practice to say it after lighting should continue her practice and a woman who doesn’t have a practice should say the bracha before lighting.
A man should have the match ready in hand, make the bracha, and then light the candles; however, women should light the candles, and then make the bracha while covering her eyes or the flame so as not to benefit from the light. Rama 263:5 writes that the minhag was to light and then make the bracha while covering the flame so as not to benefit from the flame before making the bracha. Beiur Halacha , brings a dispute whether a man does the same process as a women or not. Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 43:30 rules that a man should first make the bracha and then light.
The practice to pray for children that will be Torah scholars is based on the Gemora Shabbos 23b that says in reward for keeping Shabbos candles, one get children who lighten the world with their Torah. The Magen Avraham 263:11 in name of Rabbenu BeChay says that it is proper for a person to pray for children that will be Torah scholars when lighting the Shabbos candles. This brought as Halacha in Kaf HaChaim 263:1.The practice is that the women say a prayer for their children to grow to become Torah scholars.
The minimum requirement is to have one candle. However, the minhag is to have two candle as remebrence for “Zachor” and “Shamor”.
Some have the minhag to have 7 candles and some have the minhag to have 10 candles.
The obligation is greater upon women in the house than the men. If the man and woman both want to light, preference is given to the women (as brought by the Mishna berura).
However, the obligation of setting up the wicks and oil should be done by the men of the house.
The minhag is that the husband of a woman who gave birth that week, lights Shabbos candles for his wife.
If one is staying in a hotel for Shabbos, some say that one should light an incandescent bulb with a bracha in one’s private room. This may be done even if the light is in a closet or in the bathroom, however, if one lights in the bathroom, the bracha should be made outside the bathroom. However, if this option isn’t possible, one should light in the dining room so that people can derive benefit from it, but one may not light with a bracha in a place that no one will get benefit from the candles.
There is a dispute whether one can light Shabbos candles in a place that is already lit up with electric lights.
The Or Letzion 2:18:13 assumes that one can’t fulfill the mitzvah of Shabbos candles with electric lights and concludes therefore one can light Shabbos candles there even if the electric lights are on in that room.
The Klosenberg Rebbe said that it is still a recognizable honor to light candles for Shabbos more than it is to have electric lights. Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igrot Moshe 5:20) suggests another possibility. Perhaps there’s an obligation to light candles even though we have electric lights because maybe the electricity will go out. However, others hold that one must turn off the electric lights before lighting as is mentioned below.
Therefore, some say that one should turn off the electric lights, turn them back on for the sake of Shabbos, light the regular candles, and then say the bracha. Others say to turn off the lights, light the regular candles, and then turn on the electric lights. |