Candle Lighting

Hadlakat Nerot

הדלקת נרות

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The blessing "Sheheḥeyanu" ("Who has given us life") is said on Yom Tov evenings, except on the last evenings of Pesaḥ. (In Israel, it is not said on the last evening of Pesaḥ.)

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ, וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה.

Sephardi

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam
shehecheyanu vekiyemanu, vehigi'anu lazman hazeh.

English

Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this time.

On Erev Yom Kippur, cover the eyes with the hands after lighting the candles, and say (on Shabbat add the words in parentheses):

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל (שַׁבָּת וְשֶׁל) יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים.

Sephardi

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam
asher kiddeshanu bemitzvotav, vetzivanu lehadlik ner shel (Shabbat veshel) Yom haKippurim.

English

Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who has made us holy through His commandments, and has commanded us to light (the Sabbath light and) the light of the Day of Atonement.

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ, וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה.

Sephardi

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam,
shehecheyanu vekiyemanu, vehigi'anu lazman hazeh.

English

Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this time.

Prayer after candlelighting (add the words in parentheses as appropriate):

Hebrew

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי, שֶׁתְּחוֹנֵן אוֹתִי (וְאֶת אִישִׁי/ וְאֶת
אָבִי/ וְאֶת אִמִּי/ וְאֶת בָּנַי וְאֶת בְּנוֹתַי) וְאֶת כָּל קְרוֹבַי, וְתִתֵּן לָנוּ וּלְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל
חַיִּים טוֹבִים וַאֲרֻכִּים, וְתִזְכְּרֵנוּ בְּזִכָּרוֹן טוֹבָה וּבְרָכָה, וְתִפְקְדֵנוּ בִּפְקֻדַּת יְשׁוּעָה
וְרַחֲמִים, וּתְבָרְכֵנוּ בְּרָכוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת, וְתַשְׁלִים בָּתֵּינוּ וְתַשְׁכֵּן שְׁכִינָתְךָ בֵּינֵינוּ.
וּזְכֵנִי לְגַדֵּל בָּנִים וּבְנֵי בָנִים חֲכָמִים וּנְבוֹנִים, אוֹהֲבֵי יְהוָה, יִרְאֵי אֱלֹהִים, אַנְשֵׁי
אֱמֶת, זֶרַע קֹדֶשׁ, בַּיהוָה דְּבֵקִים וּמְאִירִים אֶת הָעוֹלָם בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים
וּבְכָל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא. אָנָּא שְׁמַע אֶת תְּחִנָּתִי בָּעֵת הַזֹּאת בִּזְכוּת שָׂרָה
וְרִבְקָה וְרָחֵל וְלֵאָה אִמּוֹתֵינוּ, וְהָאֵר נֵרֵנוּ שֶׁלֹּא יִכְבֶּה לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד, וְהָאֵר פָּנֶיךָ
וְנִוָּשֵׁעָה. אָמֵן.

Sephardi

Yehi ratzon milfanecha Adonai Elohai veilohei avotai, shetechonen oti (ve'et ishi ve'et
avi ve'et imi ve'et banai ve'et benotai) ve'et kol kerovai, vetiten lanu ulechol Yisrael
chayim tovim va'arukim, vetizkerenu bezikaron tovah uverachah, vetifkedenu bifkudat yeshu'ah
verachamim, utevarechenu berachot gedolot, vetashlim bateinu vetashken Shechinatkha beineinu.
Uzekeni legadel banim uvenei vanim chachamim unevonim, ohavei Adonai, yirei Elohim, anshei
emet, zera kodesh, baAdonai devikim ume'irim et ha'olam baTorah uvema'asim tovim
uvechol melechet avodat haBore. Ana shema et techinati ba'et hazot bizchut Sarah
veRivkah veRachel veLe'ah imoteinu, veha'er nerenu shelo yichbeh le'olam va'ed, veha'er panecha
venivashe'ah. Amen.

English

May it be Your will, LORD my God and God of my forebears, that You give me grace – me (and my husband/and my father/and my mother/and my sons and my daughters) and all those close to me, and give us and all Israel good and long lives. And remember us with a memory that brings goodness and blessing; come to us with compassion and bless us with great blessings. Build our homes until they are complete, and allow Your Presence to live among us. And may I merit to raise children and grandchildren, each one wise and understanding, loving the LORD and in awe of God, people of truth, holy children, who will cling on to the LORD and light up the world with Torah and with good actions, and with all the kinds of work that serve the Creator. Please, hear my pleading at this time, by the merit of Sarah and Rebecca, Rachel and Leah our mothers, and light our candle that it should never go out, and light up Your face, so that we shall be saved, Amen.

Commentary

The ancient custom is for women to perform this commandment since they are the primary guardians of the home. Our custom is to light two candles, representing the two dimensions of Shabbat: shamor, "guarding," observing the prohibitions of Shabbat; and zakhor, "remembering," keeping its positive commandments.

Normally we make a blessing over a commandment before performing it. In the case of Shabbat lights, however, the blessing is made afterward, so that the lighting precedes mental acceptance of the day and its prohibitions. The blessing is made while covering one's eyes, so that the blessing follows the act but precedes its benefit.

Lighting candles is a positive rabbinic commandment, symbolizing shalom bayit, domestic peace. By creating peace in the home, we are helping to make peace in the world.

The Shabbat candles also symbolize the light of the Divine Presence, which illuminates relationships within the home. Rabbi Akiva noted that the Hebrew words for man (ish) and woman (isha) both contain the letters of esh, "fire." Each contains one extra letter – yod in the case of man, heh in the case of woman, and these two letters together spell one of the names of God. He concluded: "When husband and wife are worthy, the Divine Presence dwells between them" (Sota 17a).