In
every Jewish home, the woman is central to the family's’ spiritual life.
On Shabbat, it is the woman, the wife, the mother who we honor and thank for
her role in maintaining the family and our age long traditions.
This
set contains the essential elements that will be used by her to welcome in the
Shabbat and reaffirm her faith. The set
includes: A pair of candlesticks, a head covering, a tallit and a prayer
book of Shabbat Blessings and a guide to the Shabbat ceremony.
Shabbat is the Jewish Day of
Rest, one of the best known of all Jewish observances. It begins at sundown on
Friday night with the lighting of two Shabbat candles and ends on Saturday
night at one hour past sunset. The candle lighting ceremony ushers in the
serenity of Shabbat, a day of peace and rest when one can set aside weekday
concerns and share a special time with G-d, family and friends.
The first woman to light
Shabbat candles was our Matriarch Sarah. According to Jewish tradition, Sarah
would light the Shabbat candles on the eve of the Shabbat, in the tent she
shared with Abraham, and the candles would miraculously burn from one Friday to
the next. Thus the pleasant sight of Sarah's candles greeted the many guests
that visited Abraham and Sarah's tent throughout the week.
When Sarah passed away, the
flames on her Shabbat candles were extinguished. A few years later, when Isaac
saw that the Shabbat candles of his prospective wife, Rebecca, had the same
miraculous ability to continue burning throughout the week, he understood that
she was Sarah's rightful successor, and he wed her happily.
Our Sages command the
lighting of Shabbat and holiday candles for several reasons:
Honoring the Day: We add light in the home to welcome and honor the
Shabbat Queen.
Peace in the Home: Shabbat and holidays are intended to be a peaceful
oasis in our chaotic lives. We illuminate our home so that we should not
stumble in the darkness, something which would have a decidedly un-peaceful
effect.
Pleasure: To fully enjoy the Shabbat delicacies, one must be
able to see the food — this requires a well-lit room.
Until marriage, women and
girls light one candle. After marriage, women light (at least) two candles.
Some add an additional candle for each child. Light the candles eighteen
minutes before sunset and under no circumstances after sunset!