How early, or how late, can I light the Shabbat-candles?

by Rabbi Shlomo Chein

Library » Shabbat » Candle Lighting | Subscribe | What is RSS? PRINT EMAIL COMMENT Shabbat candles must be lit before sunset since Shabbat begins at sunset, after which it is forbidden to light fire. Standard candle lighting time is 18 minutes before sunset.1   If one wants to begin Shabbat early s/he may light candles (and begin Shabbat) as early as one and a quarter halachic hours before sunset (also known as "plag haminchah"), but not earlier. Click here to find the standard candle lighting time or the plag haminchah time for any date and for any location in the world. Footnotes 1. The reasons being: a) We don't want to wait for the last minute, and b) we want to "stretch" the Shabbat a bit into the weekday. In some communities the standard custom is to light candles (and begin Shabbat) as early as 40 minutes before sunset, for the above reasons. ADD A COMMENT Please email me when new comments are posted (you must be  logged in). RELATED CATEGORIES Women & Judaism » Women's Mitzvot » Candle Lighting Email to a friend Post a comment cancel Loading...