Practical Halachah: Shabbat Candles

I remember learning that if a woman misses lighting candles and it is before 3 stars come out you can ask a non-jew to do it for you and you say the bracha and then the woman doesn't have to add an extra candle for the rest of your life Reply

Thank you! I enjoyed your shiur ... I've been lighting in olive oil since I started many years ago, however when I go away as in Conventions, or traveling overseas, I light tea lights as its much easier to carry around etc ... is there any problem with that? Reply

shabbat candles, lighting a match what a great class. so informative. not going off on tangents but sticking resolutely to the subject. now i understand why some people put the lit match down to burn out. thank you, rabbi shusterman. Reply

questions Do the candles have to be at the the table or can they be near a table? If someone is eating elsewhere, do they light where they eat or sleep and if they usually light more than two, do they have to light the amount they usually light? If a woman is away, does her husband light and also cover his eyes? Do the electric lights in the room where the candles are lit need to be shut off and turned back on for candle lighting?Can one use colored or scented candles? Are the eyes covered on yom tov and which days of yom tov is the shechechiyanu said? Reply

Thank you! I was hoping to find a shiur online for practical halachah. I thought Kiddush and Shabbos Candles might be a little too basic, but I was pleasantly surprised at how many things I did NOT know! Thank you for this new peulah. By the way, my husband was out of town the Friday that you gave over the Kiddush shiur. I thought what's the big deal about making kiddush... you pour the wine, put the cup in your hand, and say what's in the bentcher. What wonderful hashgacha pratis that I saw your shiur right before licht bentchen and was able to implement the things you said in the shiur right away.! Reply

where to find time for earliest lighting Chabad.org has the times listed for under halachic times of plag hamincha, the earliest time to light Shabbos candles. Reply

it upsets me, as a sefaradi and as a Jew, when the law regarding lighting the Shabbat candles are changed and rationalized to support this change. when the woman lights the candles and covers her eyes, to pretend that the light is not there, who is she fooling? Certainly not Hashem. you have stated that the berajah always preceeds the act. if that is the case, why the change? if you are willing to do so, may i suggest that you taste the Kiddush before you say the Beraja, you eat of the bread before you say the Berajah of Hamotzi and so on. you cannot say that the sefaradi custom is also acceptable. you cannot change the rule because it suits your logic. i'd like to see your rationale.

Joseph Reply