Why Do I Light Shabbat Candles

Why do I light Shabbat candles every Friday night?

I have always found a candle to be quite spiritual, or even magical.

In Judaism, almost every holiday begins the night before with the lighting of a candle.

On each holiday eve, and on Chanukah for eight nights, there is an opportunity to experience the preciousness of a newly lit flame.

But my favorite candle lighting is the one I do every Friday night, Shabbat candles.

I didn’t grow up in a Jewish observant home, rather in a secular environment.

My Kibbutz society believed in the cultural and land aspects of Judaism.

So why is it that I light Shabbat Candles every Friday night?

Shabbat candle lighting offered me a new breath, a silent but inspirational sigh to the completion of a week and the invitation to rest.

My mother always lit two Shabbat candles every Friday night.

I can’t recall her saying a blessing as she lit them, perhaps it was just the moving to a paused moment that intrigued me.

In the Kibbutz children’s houses every Friday before the children were to go home Shabbat Candles were lit.

There was a sweet moment or two of silence even in the baby houses.

This moving from noise to quiet, from an active mind to a calm one, from rush to pause,

made an important and meaningful imprint on my soul.

One that would continue to evolve with time, taking on new meanings both for my spirit and my family.

Shabbat candle lighting offered me a new breath, a silent but inspirational sigh to the completion of a week and the invitation to rest.

Shabbat candles have awakened my heart, my gratitude and the gifts of spiritual self-awareness.

Over the years, there is so much more that those few moments of Shabbat Candle lighting have taught me.

As I stand to light each candle, I have learned to be in my present moment with myself and those surrounding me.

Before my children all moved on to their homes, the warmth of my three daughters lighting the candles with me allowed us to pause from parenting and whatever stage of childhood, or adolescent they were in and to just be in the moment of togetherness.

Now, that my partner in life and love and I find ourselves many Friday nights lighting our Shabbat candles by ourselves, we pause from our week’s busyness to our sacred couple ship.

On occasion I have been by myself on Shabbat evening, then as well, my moments lighting the Shabbat candles have awakened my heart, my gratitude and the gifts of spiritual self-awareness.