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Why do women wave their hands over the Shabbat candles?


By Malkie Janowski

After lighting the Shabbat candles, women traditionally wave their hands three times in front of the candles, semi-circular inward-leading hand motions. The hand waving is a symbolic greeting for the "Shabbat Queen," ushering her holy presence into the home. After the third wave, the hands end up over the eyes, and the woman recites the blessings on the candles.

See also Why do we cover our eyes when reciting the blessing on the Shabbat candles?

Malkie Janowski for Chabad.org
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By Malkie Janowski   More articles...  |   RSS Listing of Newest Articles by this Author
Malkie Janowski is an accomplished educator who lives in Coral Springs, Florida. Mrs. Janowski is also a responder on Chabad.org's Ask the Rabbi team.

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Reader Comments
Latest Comments:
Posted: Feb 16, 2011
Shabbat Candle-lighting
We say a woman should light the candles, wave her hands to gather in the light, then cover her eyes to block the light and then say the blessing.
There is a contradiction. She gathers her hands first gathering the light BEFORE she covers her eyes to BLOCK the light.
Posted By Arthur Rosen, Mission Viejo, Ca.

Posted: Mar 8, 2010
The reason why they cover their eyes...
It is written in the Talmud why women cover their eyes:

In daily Jewish practices, you say a bracha/blessing before doing the action. When you eat an apple, for instance, you say a blessing before eating it.

However, on Shabbat, you cannot. If you say the blessing before the action of lighting, you welcome in the shabbat with this blessing and lighting a fire is prohibited on shabbat so you cannot light the candles after saying the blessing. Because of this, we light the candles first, but symbolically cover our eyes so that we do not benefit from the light. Then we say the blessing and then we see the light and benefit from it. So in the end, we satisfy both requirements: saying the blessing beforehand and also avoiding doing a prohibited act on shabbat.
Posted By Anonymous

Posted: Mar 7, 2010
The Shabbat candles allude to the three internal levels of the soul: the nefesh, ruach, and neshama. As we usher in the Shabbat by waving our hands, we allow the Shabbat spirit to permeate each of those three levels, deeper and deeper into ourselves. The entrance of Shabbat also rectifies any blemishes in three supernal worlds, the World of Creation, Formation, and Action, symbolized by the three waves of the hands.
Posted By Malkie Janowski for Chabad.org

Posted: Feb 26, 2010
shabbat candles
what is the significance of waving exactly three times over Shabbat candles?
Posted By Jared Brudno, austin , tx

Posted: Feb 18, 2010
Not sure this answers...
Is there a source for this tradition? Is it observed by women from all branches of Orthodoxy?
Posted By Anonymous, Baltimore, MD

Posted: Oct 19, 2009
Candle Llighting
Who or What is the "Sabbat Queen"?
Posted By Bobbie Kirk, Montgomery, TX



 


Questions and Answers
Why the women?
Why give charity before lighting?
Why cover the eyes?
Why at least two candles?
Is any candle kosher?
Does a single man light Shabbat candles?
How about electric bulbs?
Can I light candles after sunset?
Why do women wave their hands over the Shabbat candles?
Is it forbidden to do "work" after Shabbat candle lighting time?
Are your candle-lighting times for Palm Springs, CA, correct?
Where does the Torah say to light Shabbat candles?
Is the blessing recited before a mitzvah or afterwards?
Do Young Girls Light Shabbat and Holiday Candles?

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