大象传媒

Good morning!

I am often asked why Jews light two candles at dusk on a Friday night. The lighting of candles on the Sabbath eve is one of the most well-known and cherished Jewish rituals, which marks the beginning of shabbat, Hebrew for the Sabbath.

It was the Pharisees, forerunners of the Rabbis, who made the lighting obligatory, even though nowhere in the Bible is there a suggestion that God has commanded us to kindle the Sabbath lights and the assertion that God has done so is a post biblical innovation.

Indeed, anyone with a good knowledge of the Hebrew Bible knows, there are biblical passages, which specifically prohibit the making of fire on the Sabbath such as, 鈥榶ou shall not kindle the fire in your habitations on the Sabbath day鈥�.

But the Pharisees had a good reason for making a ritual out of kindling the Sabbath lights.聽 They were rejecting the ancient Greek myth according to which Zeus wanted to withhold the gift of fire from human beings and punish them for getting hold of it. According to the rabbis however, immediately after the first Sabbath God went out to teach Adam how to make fire by rubbing two stones together. Therefore from the Greek point of view human beings are in competition from the gods, whereas from the Jewish perspective human beings are called to work with God.

When Jews light the Sabbath candles this evening we will pray that all people will learn to work with God. This is the prayer we will say: 鈥渨e praise you O Lord our God, king of the universe who has sanctified us by your commandments and enjoined us to kindle the Sabbath lights.鈥�

And then we will say 鈥楽habbat shalom鈥�.

And tonight I will wish you a sabbath of peace.聽 Shabbat Shalom.