לזכר נשמות לאה שושנה בת אהרן ריעדער מורינו ר׳ צבי הערש בן ר׳ ניסן חיים מורינו ר׳ ישעי בן ר׳ משה ר׳ יעקב בן ר׳ שמואל יוסף מ׳ חוה רבקה בת ר׳ שמעון ריעדער

Based on Nefesh Shimshon by Rav Shimshon Pincus, zt”l

There was a menorah in the Beis Hamikdash. There were three mitzvos involving this menorah. Two are well known, hadlakas neiros and hatavas haneiros.

Hadlakas neiros means lighting the menorah. Hatavas haneiros means preparing the menorah to be lit. According to the Rambam, the kohein would remove the old oil and wicks and then set up new ones. This is a Torah mitzvah, and only a kohein may perform it.

Shabbos also has these two mitzvos. There is lighting Shabbos candles , which is the woman’s role, as she is the “kohein” of the home, and there is the additional mitzvah of preparing the candlesticks, which the Mishnah Berurah deems proper for the husband to perform.

Rav Shimshon says he learned this when he was engaged. He saw beautiful intricate candlesticks he wanted to purchase for his kallah, and the seller told him, “those are hard to clean. And cleaning them will be your job l'kavod Shabbos.”

The husband prepares, and the wife lights. In this way, the hadlakas neiros, which resembles the lighting of the menorah, creates unity and harmony between husband and wife.

There is a third mitzvah regarding the menorah. This is simply that there should be a menorah in the Beis Hamikdash. This mitzvah also has a parallel in Shabbos — we find that Shabbos candles are compared to the menorah.

Rabbeinu Yitzchak ben HaRavaad is quoted in the Rishonim as saying if the utensil holding the oil of Shabbos lights is not a proper vessel — if it’s wobbly and cannot stand on its own — it is invalid for the Shabbos lights. Just as the lights in the Beis Hamikdash were placed inside the menorah, so too Shabbos lights need to be placed in a proper kli.

On this basis, we can explain the common custom of buying silver candlesticks. They are similar to the menorah, and are an intrinsic part of the mitzvah of kindling Shabbos lights.

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Let’s Reflect:

Our Shabbos candles parallel the menorah in the Beis Hamikdash? Our homes truly are Mikdash miats!

If that is the case, how can we strengthen the boundaries of our home, keeping all things of Shabbos in and all mundane matters out? And how can we ensure the Shabbos candles reflect how we truly feel about Shabbos?

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