Yom Kippur Candle Lighting

Rabbi Alan Lucas

Following the Yom Kippur meal, candles are lit just as they are on Friday night.

Find candle lighting times here.

The blessing, found in any edition of the High Holiday prayerbook is:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְו‍ֹתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים.

Barukh attah adonai, eloheinu, melekh ha-olam, asher kidd’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivvanu l’hadlik neir shel yom ha-kippurim.

Praised are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who, sanctifying us with divine commandments, has commanded us to light the Yom Kippur lamp.

If Yom Kippur coincides with Shabbat, the blessing concludes:

…לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת וְשֶׁל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים.

…l’hadlik neir shel shabbat v’shel yom ha-kippurim

…has commanded us to kindle the Shabbat and Yom Kippur lamp.

In either event, it is followed by the She-heḥeyyanu (also written as shehechianu) blessing:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְמַן הַזֶּה.

Barukh attah adonai, eloheinu, melekh ha-olam, she-heheyyanu, vekiyamanu, vehigiyanu lezman hazeh.

Praised are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this occasion.

In addition, a special Yizkor candle is lit just prior to the formal Yom Kippur candles by those who will be remembering loved ones no longer living.

There is no blessing recited on the kindling of this candle, although many prayerbooks include appropriate devotional material to recite just before lighting the memorial candle.

Adapted with permission from The Observant Life.

Authors

Rabbi Alan Lucas

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The Observant Life (Book)

The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews distills a century of thoughtful inquiry into the most profound of all Jewish questions: how to suffuse life with timeless values, how to remain loyal to the covenant that binds the Jewish people and the God of Israel, and how to embrace the law while retaining an abiding sense of fidelity to one’s own moral path in life. Written in a multiplicity of voices inspired by a common vision, the authors of The Observant Life explain what it means in the ultimate sense to live a Jewish life, and to live it honestly, morally, and purposefully. The work is a comprehensive guide to life in the 21st Century. Chapters on Jewish rituals including prayer, holiday, life cycle events and Jewish ethics such as citizenship, slander, taxes, wills, the courts, the work place and so much more.
View all posts

Authors

Rabbi Alan Lucas
The Observant Life (Book)

The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews distills a century of thoughtful inquiry into the most profound of all Jewish questions: how to suffuse life with timeless values, how to remain loyal to the covenant that binds the Jewish people and the God of Israel, and how to embrace the law while retaining an abiding sense of fidelity to one’s own moral path in life. Written in a multiplicity of voices inspired by a common vision, the authors of The Observant Life explain what it means in the ultimate sense to live a Jewish life, and to live it honestly, morally, and purposefully. The work is a comprehensive guide to life in the 21st Century. Chapters on Jewish rituals including prayer, holiday, life cycle events and Jewish ethics such as citizenship, slander, taxes, wills, the courts, the work place and so much more.

Post categories: High Holidays, Holidays, Yom Kippur, Yom Kippur at Home

Post tags: Candle, Candle lighting, Festivals, High Holidays, Holiday, Kavanah (Intention), Machzor, New Year, Personal, Prayer, Ritual, Shabbat, Shehechianu, Spirituality, Ten Days of Repentance (Aseret Yamei Teshuvah), The Observant Life, Yamim Nora'im