Responsa in a Moment - Hillcrest Jewish Center

How many candles should we light?

Responsa Source Sheet by Rabbi Uriel Romano

Many, many options!

The Law: Just one

1. One: Just to Illuminate

Mishnah Berurah 263:23

Even do someone lightes many candles it is better to say (in the blessing) “Ner-Candle” [and not nerot-candles] because the main obligation is over one candle.

ואפילו - נר להדליק) כב) (כב( שיאמר יותר טוב נרות כמה כשמדליק

:אחד נר הוא החיוב עיקר כי נר

Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Shabbat 5:1

וחייב לברך קודם ' הדלקה ברוך אתה ה

אלהינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו

נר של וצונו להדליק .שבת

One is obligated to recite a blessing before kindling [the Sabbath lamp], as one does before fulfilling any of the obligations incumbent upon us by virtue of Rabbinic decree. [The blessing is:] Blessed are You, God, our Lord who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the Sabbath lamp.

● Chabbad and some other Chasidic traditions:

○ Girls under the age of 12 light only one candle or; ○ Women before they get married light only one candle. (See: Likkutei

Sichot, vol. 11, p. 289.)

The tradition: More than one to honor the Shabbat (Kvod HaShabbat)

2. Two: multiple reasons

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayyim 263:1

One should be very careful to make a nice lamp, and )מכוונים ויש, יפה נר לעשות זהיר יהא) א

there are the ones that do to wicks one for Zakhor and one for Shamor. AGA: And one is permitted to add and light three or four, and this is the tradition.

ואחד זכור כנגד אחד פתילות שתי לעשות ולהדליק להוסיף ויכולין: הגה. שמור כנגד

נהגו וכן, נרות ארבעה או שלושה

Reasons:

a. For the two sets of the Asseret HaDivrot (Ten Commandments): one for Shamor and the other for Zachor (Raavyah 199)

b. For the many things that are double in Shabbat like the double Korban (Shacharit and Musaf), the two lambs of the korban Musaf, the two bread portions in the table, “Mizmor Shir LeYom HaShabbat” etc. (Raavyah 199)

c. One candle would just mean to have light when it's dark, two will express that we do so for the purpose of the Mitzvah. (Kol Bo, 24)

d. The two candles represent the husband and the wife because according to the Talmud (Brachot 45a) the women has 252 body parts and the men 248. This equal 500 (two times the numerical value of the word Lamp-NeR in hebrew). (Eliyah Rabbah 263:2)

e. The two candles represent the two souls that we have during Shabbat (Eliyah Rabbah 263:2)

3. 2+amount of children:

Talmud, Shabbat 23b

R. Huna said: He who habitually practises [the lighting of] the lamp will possess scholarly sons; he who is observant of [the precept of] mezuzah will merit a beautiful dwelling; he who is observant of fringes will merit a beautiful garment; he who is observant of the Sanctification of the Day will be privileged to fill barrels of wine.

אמר רב הונא הרגיל בנר הויין ליה בנים תלמידי

חכמים הזהיר במזוזה זוכה לדירה נאה הזהיר בציצית

זוכה לטלית נאה הזהיר בקידוש היום זוכה וממלא

גרבי יין

“The candle of God is the soul of man.” (Proverbs 20:27)

“a candle is a mitzvah and the Torah is light” (Proverbs 6:23) See also (Pit’chei Teshuvah 263:2.) Other similar traditions: ● For X amount of people living in the house ● For X amount of children of the family living inside or outside the house

4. X + 1: Emendation of a mistake Maharil, Hilkhot Shabbat 61:1

A woman who forgot and did not light a candle one Shabbat has her entire life to add one more candle to the ones she was use to light until that moment.

בשבת נר הדליקה ולא ששכחה אשה מצוה של נר על להוסיף ימיה כל שצריכה עתה עד להדליק רגילה שהיתה ממה יותר

5. 7 or 10: The week or the 10 commandments

Magen Abraham, 263:1:2

And they could add: Some have the tradition to light seven candles and there are the ones that say ten (Shelah)

להדליק נוהגין ויש. להוסיף ויכולין ):ה"של( עשרה א"וי נרות' ז

Mishnah Berurah, Ibid., 6.

To add - There is people that have the tradition to light 7 candles for the 7 days of the week and there are those who light 10 for the 10 Commandments but not all the lamps should be over the same table.

] יא[להדליק נוהגין ויש - להוסיף) ו( עשרה ויש השבוע ימי' ז כנגד נרות' ז

צריכין ואין] יב[הדברות עשרת כנגד השלחן על כולן להיות

“And God blessed the seventh day” (Genesis 2:3). “With what did he bless it? Light.”

6. Other Kabbalist numbers and traditions ● 36 Candles (Shelah, Shabbat, Or Torah, Sod Hadlakat Ner Shabbat) ● 10 Candles in three different levels: 3-6-1 representing the Sefirot according to

the Kabbalah (Jerusalem Kabbalist tradition) ● 26 Candles corresponding to name of God (I-H-V-H) (Admur Rabi Eleazar

Menajem Mendl Lelov)