Preparing for Shabbos can be frantic. There’s cooking, cleaning, and shopping to be done. There are urns to fill, and warming trays to set. There are lights to turn on, and phones to switch off. There’s a table to be laid, and kids to be dressed. And, all the while, the clock is ticking.
But just before the sun slips below the horizon, everything grinds to a halt, and what’s done is done. Wherever you are in your prep, whatever you’ve built during the week, all of that stops as you enter the realm of holy time. When you realise you can do no more, there’s a surrender that births a serenity. Shabbos glides into your home. And in that instant, the rush becomes a hush.
The lighting of Shabbos candles is that magical moment that marks the transition. At the flicker of a flame, you go from the mad rush of the week to the peace and holiness of Shabbos. It’s the moment when you exhale, your body relaxes, and you surrender control of the world to Hashem for 25 hours. At that moment of transition, tranquillity and holiness floods through your home, and there’s a tangible change in atmosphere. Our home is transformed in that moment – and so are we. We can actually feel it.
This year, the Shabbos Project has produced a series of candle-lighting cards – meditations authored by luminaries such as Lori Palatnik, Slovie Jungreiss-Wolff, and Sivan Rahav-Meir. These meditations are real pearls of wisdom, splashes of light illuminating the sacred mitzvah of candle-lighting, and almost as beautiful as the light of Shabbat itself.
Their purpose is simple: to enable us to approach these moments mindfully; to remind us of the spiritual power of candle-lighting; and to be truly present as we transition into Shabbos – to really experience it.
I would like to invite every woman in our community to enjoy these meditations. You can find them at theshabbosproject.org.
Shabbat Shalom!
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Souls on fire
A meditation by Rebbetzin Gina Goldstein
As I light my Shabbos candles each week, I mention the Hebrew names of each of my children, my children-in-law, my husband, and myself. The flame of each individual candle represents the soul of each family member. “The flame of Hashem is the soul of a person.” (Mishlei 20:27) Just like a soul, the flame burns bright, independent, and strong. Just like a soul, the flame is mesmerising, always reaching upwards, as high as it can. Just like the pure and holy soul within each person in my home. And, very quickly, with the light, warmth, and energy of the Shabbos candles, I am reminded of what I sometimes forget. As a Jewish mother, it is my mission to ignite the souls within my home – that they should shine and burn bright! When we are all switched on, when we are transcendent, when we defy the confines of our own limitations, when we feel passion and closeness to Hashem, when we crave meaning and search for destiny, when we seek truth, we are drawing from the energy of our burning soul! Our greatest achievements, our most noble acts, and deepest loves arise from our soul’s passionate fire! All the hard work of my week supports this holy mission. All the energy and effort is worthy. I know why I do what I do!
