If I came home late and it is after sunset, should I light the Shabbat candles then?

No. One of the major mitzvot that characterize the Shabbat is the prohibition of all types of work. Lighting a fire is in this category and is strictly forbidden on Shabbat. Once the sun has set, Shabbat has begun and lighting a candle, rather than being an enhancement of the Shabbat, is a grave transgression.

There are some who have the custom of adding an extra Shabbat candle the following Shabbat and thereafter to make up for the shabbat for which candle lighting was missed.

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17 Comments

Rinah US January 23, 2025

In my new job (to start) will end every day at 4:10 PM (from 8:00-4:10 PM)- including Friday. Depending of the time of the year, obviously being 3:56 the time to light candles in (deep) Winter, to then increase later on, there is a possibility that I will get LATE for Shabbat Candles.
I have been unemployed for almost 2 years now.
I have begged Hashem for a job which lets me be ready for Shabbat fully, but nothing.
Question: Can I light up a 48 hours candle in the morning of Friday, and JUST in case I get late late home, in order to light Shabbat candles up I TRANSFER the fire from that big candle to Shabbat Candles- like we do in prolonged Yom Tov? ( I LOVE Hashem, and the Chassidic way) and trying to do Teshuvah, but I do not know what else to do being unemployed for so long. Please, help Reply

Rochel Chein for chabad.org January 31, 2025

in response to Rinah:

Wishing you much success in your new job! Shabbat candles can be lit early but not earlier than one and a quarter Halachic hours before Shabbat. See chabad.org/143790 under "plag mincha" for this time in your location each week.

I hope that your job will allow you to leave earlier on Fridays when Shabbat starts early, and perhaps you can make up the time at other times during the week. If not, do you live with someone who can light the Shabbat candles on your behalf? Reply

Isaac Dassas August 10, 2020

After lighting the candles in Friday is there a grace period ? Reply

Rabbi Yossi Grossbaum, for Chabad.org Folsom, CA August 13, 2020

in response to Isaac :

The standard is that when lighting Shabbat candles one accepts Shabbat and all weekday activities must cease. However - provided one is lighting the candles before sunset and only if there is an urgent need, one can have in mind not to accept Shabbat immediately after lighting candles and one may do additional weekday activities.This should only be done if circumstances demand and one will be able to begin Shabbat within at most 10 minutes.

There is a halachic difference between men and women in this regard - woman must intentionally plan to accept Shabbat at a later time, if they didn't before lighting candles they've already accepted Shabbat. Men can continue doing weekday activities even if they didn't intentionally plan not to accept Shabbat.

In either circumstance one must begin observing Shabbat no later than a few minutes before sunset. Reply

Chabad.org Staff June 4, 2015

The candles are lit on Friday night, they do not need to burn for the entire Shabbat, they need only last until the Friday night meal (preferably). After Shabbat ends, we light a different candle to say the blessing on a flame that is said during the Havdalah ceremony. Reply

Barbara Sylvain Maine June 3, 2015

Candle lighting What happens when the candles burn out on Shabbat? Isn't a candle extinguished at the end of Shabbat? Where does that candle come from? Reply

Rochel Chein for chabad.org March 23, 2014

Prayer The blessing over the candles is only recited when lighting the Shabbat candles before sunset. After this time, the other Shabbat prayers can be recited. See here and here for some of them. Reply

Anonymous March 21, 2014

Can you still say the prayer even though it was too late to light the candle? Reply

Anonymous December 27, 2013

Candlelighting I know you can light candles before the 18 minutes before sunset...my question is can a Woman light candles up to a few minutes before Sunset Reply

Anonymous Oslo February 26, 2011

Can I light another candle later by using the fire from the first candles or would that be considered a transgression? Reply

Eliezer Zalmanov for Chabad.org May 24, 2010

Re: Saying prayer without lighting? Although the blessing is directly related to lighting the candles and may not be recited if the candles aren't being lit, you can still take the time to recite Kiddush in honor of Shabbat (see our Kiddush Mitzvah Minute). Reply

Anonymous Chicago May 14, 2010

Saying prayer without lighting? If you come home too late to light the candles, can you just say the prayer over unlit candles? Reply

Chani Benjaminson, chabad.org August 21, 2009

Lighting early Absolutely! The Shabbat candles may not be lit AFTER the 18 minutes cut-off, but they may be lit before, specifically up to an hour and a quarter Halachic hours before the official candle lighting time. To find the exact times please see our Halachic times calculator -- look for the 'plag hamincha' entry. Reply

eliezer brooklyn July 24, 2018

in response to Chani Benjaminson, chabad.org:

in an emergency, while they are supposed to be lit 18 minutes before sunset, they may be lit up until sunset but absolutely not after sunset Reply

Rox Hazleton, PA August 21, 2009

candle time If you don't make the precise 18 minute mark, can you still light before sunset? Or MUST it be 18 minutes or nothing at all? Reply

Chani Benjaminson, chabad.org October 24, 2008

lighting candles after sundown I realize that you'd like to have Shabbat candles in your home. However, once Shabbat has started, lighting a flame -- any flame -- is not permitted. Do you live with someone who can light the candles for you at home on time? Reply

Jerry NY., NY. October 21, 2008

lighting the candles Is it alright to light the sabbath candles from a flame that was already burning, another candle? I get home 2 or more hours after sundown and would like to light the sabbath candles. Reply

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