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Rosh Hashanah
Candle Lighting
By: Rivka C. Berman, Contributor
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Rosh
Hashanah Candle Lighting and Blessings
Candles are lit to usher in Jewish holidays with warmth and light. Since
Jewish days begin with the setting sun, a lit candle creates a sacred
space, a glimmer in a dark night. Before sunset brings on the night that
begins Rosh Hashanah kindle the holiday candles.
What type of candles
should be used?
Home apparel stores stock aisles of tapers, scented candles, multicolor
wax sculptures with a garden of potpourri embedded in them. These are
nice, but more practical and usually cheaper are the basic white
candles, plain and parafil, they last long into the night. (Unless an
air conditioner or heating vent is blowing on them.)
How many should be lit?
The number of candles to light varies on preference and tradition. Some
light one candle for each person in the family. Lighting two candles is
another standard practice based on various reasons: the male and female
aspects of God’s presence or the two words, zachor-remember and shamor-keep,
that the Torah uses to urge Shabbat observance. Lit candles bring joy
and peace to the home, the more the merrier.
A Quick Holiday
Candle Lighting How To:
1. Light the candles.
2. Sweep your hands in a circular motion above the flames a few times to
welcome the holiday to your home.'
3. Cover your eyes or leave them uncovered – depending on your custom.
On Sabbath eve eyes are covered because blessing the candles starts
Shabbat, when lighting a fire is prohibited. Usually a blessing is said
before an action is done. (For example, the hamotzi blessing over bread
is said before eating the bread.) The question is how to keep the
Shabbat candle lighting ceremony within the usual
blessing-first-action-second order without violating the fire-lighting
prohibition. Hmm.
The solution: Light candles and then cover eyes so the lit candles are
unseen. Then say the blessing.
Here’s the fun part. Since lighting flames from an existing source is
permitted on holidays like Rosh Hashanah, there is no need to cover the
eyes and pretend they aren’t lit to say the blessing. So some people
have the custom to leave their eyes uncovered while blessing the holiday
candles. Others, who value consistency over novelty or who enjoy the
private prayer space covered eyes provide, will place their hands over
their eyes during holiday candle lighting.
Of course, when holidays begin on Friday night it’s a double whammy.
Eyes should be covered because as Shabbat and the holiday arrive at the
same time. Whew.
The Blessings
If Rosh Hashanah is on a Friday night add the words “shel Shabbat” (of
Shabbat) as indicated.
Ba-rukh Ah-tah Ah-doe-nai Eh-lo-hay-nu
Me-lekh ha-olam ah-share kidee-shah-nu b’mitz-vo-tahv v’tzi-vah-nu
l’had-leek nair (shel Shabbat) v’shell Yome Hah-zee-car-oan.
We praise You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the Universe, who makes us holy
with mitzvot and commands us to kindle the lights (of the Sabbath) and
of the Day of Remembrance.
Follow up with the Shehecheyanu blessing that is said on momentous
occasions and milestones.
Ba-rukh Ah-tah Ah-doe-nai Eh-lo-hay-nu
Me-lekh ha-olam sheh-heh-chee-ya-nu v'ki-y'manu v'higi-anu la-z'man
ha-zeh.
We praise You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the Universe, for giving us
life, for sustaining us,
and for enabling us to reach this season.
Mazor Guide to Rosh Hashanah brings you much more about the holiday, its
meaning and its traditions... See the links below.
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