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Candle Blessings
 

This article was written by Stephen Butterfass for Religious Living on the Web.
 

    KINDLING SABBATH AND FESTIVAL LIGHTS
 
The Sabbath lights are kindled approximately eighteen minutes before sunset on Friday evening. Exact times for your geographic location are usually available in Jewish calendars. Although in the past, the mitzvah of kindling the lights devolved upon the women of the household because of the traditional roles assigned them by the culture, men can and should light the candles and say the blessings. Although the custom calls for at least two candles to be lit, the blessing is in the singular, ner, light, and not nerot, lights. Therefore, one can fulfill the mitzvah with a single candle. The candles are first lit, and then the blessing is recited. When kindling the lights of Yom Kippur or of a Festival that coincides with the Sabbath, the same procedure is followed. If the Festival coincides with the Sabbath, the words in brackets are added. Additionally, the shehhechianu prayer is also recited. It is reproduced here among the Chanukah blessings.
 
 SABBATH
 
Hebrew Text
 
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Who has
sanctified us with Your commandments, and has commanded us
to kindle the lights of the Sabbath.
 
 
FESTIVAL AND YOM KIPPUR
 
  Hebrew Text
 
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Who has
sanctified us with Your commandments, and has commanded us
to kindle the lights of [the Sabbath and of] the Festival.
 
 
Hebrew Text
 
 
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Who has
sanctified us with Your commandments, and has commanded us
to kindle the lights of [the Sabbath and of] Yom Kippur.
 
 
KINDLING THE CHANUKAH LIGHTS
 
On the first night of Chanukah, the first light, to the extreme right, is kindled in the menorah. On each subsequent night, a new light is added to the left of the previous night's lights. The new light is always kindled first, the one to its right next, and so on. All three blessings that follow, are said or sang before lighting the menorah for the first time. On the subsequent nights of Chanukah, the third blessing is not said, and the blessings are recited while lighting the additional candles.
 
 
Hebrew Text
 
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Who has
sanctified us with Your commandments, and has commanded us
to kindle the lights of Chanukah.
 
 
Hebrew Text
 
 
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Who has
wrought miracles for our ancestors, in those days at this season.

 
 
Hebrew Text
 
 Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Who has
kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.
 
 

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Last Modified: 08/22/2000