Havdalah Candle

In the course of Havdalah we sniff at aromatic spices and gaze at a braided candle. What are the reasons for these practices, and how exactly are they done?

We look at our nails during havdalah because: a. In order to make the blessing on the candle, it must be close and bright enough to be able to distinguish different currencies by its light. If we can distinguish between our nails and flesh we know that ...

Actually there is an opinion in the Mishna, Beit Shammai, that says that the blessing should be “he who created the illumination of fire.” The version that we use is that of Beit Hillel. The Talmud explains that the plural “illuminations” alludes to the ...

Question: I'm all confused. How many candles do I need to light before Yom Kippur and why am I lighting them? Response: On Yom Kippur we light (1) candles in honor of the holiday, (2) candles in honor of our deceased parents, (3) candles in the ...

One must be careful to direct the great spiritual potential invested in one's hands.

Children at the shtetl candle shop speak about the meaning of light in Judaism and the significance of lighting Shabbat candles as well as the Menorah on Chanukah.