#23: How Many Candles to Light for Shabbat

Rabbi Eli Ozarowski
  1. The Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 263:1) mentions the custom of lighting 2 candles (one corresponding to "shamor" and one to "zachor", the two words used in the Ten Commandments concerning keeping Shabbat). This is the minimum number of candles lit by most people today.
  2. The Mishnah Berurah mentions a few other customs as to the number of candles lit, such as seven or ten, but one of the most common customs today is to light the number of candles equivalent to people in the household (Likutei Maharich, vol.2, p.50; Rav Mordechai Eliyahu, comments to Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, p.254, among other sources). The Shemirat Shabbat K'hilchatah (43:3) notes that the custom to light more than 2 candles applies only at home, whereas when one is away from home, two candles suffice.

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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for the hostages to be released safely to their families and may everlasting peace come to Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.