When it feels dark, light your candle

Every Friday evening, Rochelle and Shaina light the Shabbos candles with Mussie—a treasured highlight of our week. I’ll never forget their excitement when they began this mitzvah and how proud they are each time they do it. As part of the Rebbe’s initiative encouraging all Jewish women and girls to light the Shabbat candles, even young children join in. With their mothers’ guidance, children as young as two can participate, bringing in the warmth and holiness of Shabbat.
The origins of this special mitzvah are found in this week’s Parsha, where Rebecca, as a young girl, lit the Shabbat candles. Sarah had also lit the Shabbat candles, and after her passing, Abraham continued, but they didn’t burn throughout the week as Sarah’s had. When Rebecca began lighting them, her candles miraculously burned all week long.
This miracle symbolizes the unique role of Jewish women and girls—daughters of Sarah and Rebecca—in shaping the spiritual atmosphere of their homes. Though the candles’ physical light may last for only a short time, their spiritual light continues to illuminate and uplift the home throughout the week, bringing the sanctity of Shabbat into everyday life.
Today, when the world can often feel darker than ever, it’s more important than ever to add light wherever we can. The Shabbat candles are a perfect place to begin. Their glow ushers in Shabbat, filling our homes with warmth, love, and spirituality, and their light extends beyond the moment, illuminating our entire week.