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This Shabbat
Shabbat and holiday candle lighting for the next two months.
Shabbat candles are lit on Friday afternoon before sunset. The widely accepted custom is to light 18 minutes before sunset, adding time to Shabbat (tosefet Shabbat). In Jerusalem, the custom is 40 minutes before sunset. Candles are never lit after sunset on Shabbat.
Customarily, the woman of the home lights at least two candles, one for zakhor (remember) and one for shamor (keep). If no woman is home, a man lights. Once the candles are lit, Shabbat has begun for the one who lit them.
Following Maran and Hakham Ovadia Yosef, the common Sephardi practice is to say the beracha first and then light, as with other mitzvot.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת.
Barukh Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melekh ha’olam, asher kideshanu bemitsvotav vetsivanu lehadlik ner shel Shabbat.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the Shabbat lamp.
On a holiday, the beracha ends lehadlik ner shel Yom Tov. When a holiday falls on Shabbat, it ends lehadlik ner shel Shabbat veshel Yom Tov.
Shabbat ends at tzeit hakochavim, nightfall, when the sun is 8.5° below the horizon. This follows Maran in the Shulchan Arukh and the rulings of Hakham Ovadia Yosef, and it is the time we show for Havdalah. Depending on the season and where you live, it falls roughly 35 to 50 minutes after sunset.
Some follow the stricter opinion of Rabbenu Tam and wait 72 minutes after sunset. We show that time too, so you can follow your family’s custom.
On the first night of Rosh Hashana, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, Pesah and Shavuot, candles are lit before sunset, as on Shabbat. On the second night (outside Israel), candles are lit after nightfall, from a flame that was already burning. The coming weeks list above includes these times whenever a holiday is near.
Times are calculated by Hebcal for your location. Customs vary between communities; when in doubt, follow your rabbi.
It depends on where you are. Set your location at the top of this page (ZIP code or city, anywhere in the world) and you will see this week’s candle lighting and Havdalah times, plus the coming weeks.
Shabbat may not begin late, so candles are lit before sunset. Lighting 18 minutes early is the widely accepted custom, which adds time to Shabbat (tosefet Shabbat). In Jerusalem the custom is 40 minutes before sunset.
Candles must never be lit after sunset on Friday. If sunset has already passed, do not light; speak with your rabbi about what to do.
Shabbat ends at tzeit hakochavim (nightfall), when the sun is 8.5° below the horizon, following Maran and Hakham Ovadia Yosef. Those who follow Rabbenu Tam wait 72 minutes after sunset; both times are shown above.
The common Sephardi practice, following Maran and Hakham Ovadia Yosef, is to say the beracha first and then light, as with other mitzvot. Many Ashkenazim light first, cover their eyes, and then say the beracha.
On the first night of a holiday, candles are lit before sunset like Shabbat. On the second night (outside Israel), candles are lit after nightfall, from an existing flame. The coming weeks list above shows both.
