Yom Tov candle lighting: an existing flame, Shehecheyanu and Yom Kippur
On Yom Tov we light candles as we do on Shabbat, but there are important differences: we may transfer a flame but not create a new one, and the blessings change. Here is what you need to know.
Why this differs from Shabbat
On Shabbat all work is forbidden, including kindling. On Yom Tov the Torah permitted work needed for preparing food, and halacha also allows transferring a flame from one candle to another. But creating a new fire, for example with a match or a lighter, is forbidden. From this comes the principle that Yom Tov candles are lit from a flame that is already burning.
The first night and the second night
Outside Israel most festivals are two days. On the first night we light before sunset, as on Shabbat, and while it is still a weekday you may use a match. On the second night the festival has been in effect since the previous evening, and we light only after nightfall, when Yom Tov is already in force. So you cannot use a match, and you light from a flame that was already burning.
Prepare that flame in advance: a long candle that burns from the first night through the second, set in a safe place. On the second night you light the festival candles from it. You light candle from candle and do not extinguish the original. In Israel, where the festival is one day, we light before sunset as usual, except Rosh Hashanah, which is two days even in Israel.
When Yom Tov begins on Motzei Shabbat
When the first or second night falls on Motzei Shabbat, we wait until Shabbat ends. After Shabbat ends we light Yom Tov candles from an existing flame, for example from a candle that burned since before Shabbat or from the Havdalah candle. The site marks such a time as "lighting from an existing flame," with the explanation that the festival begins after nightfall. When the festival falls on a Friday and Shabbat follows, we light before sunset as on any Shabbat, but from an existing flame.
The blessings
- On Yom Tov that falls on a weekday: "lehadlik ner shel Yom Tov."
- When Yom Tov falls on Shabbat: "lehadlik ner shel Shabbat veshel Yom Tov."
- On Yom Kippur: "lehadlik ner shel Yom HaKippurim," and on Shabbat "lehadlik ner shel Shabbat veshel Yom HaKippurim."
You can see all the versions with transliteration and translation on the blessings page.
Shehecheyanu
On the festival night, after lighting, we add the blessing "Shehecheyanu," which thanks G-d for bringing us to this time. This is said on Rosh Hashanah, Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, and also on the second night outside Israel. On the seventh and last days of Pesach it is not said. On Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah it is said. On Yom Kippur it is said when lighting, though some communities say it only in the synagogue, so follow your local custom.
Shehecheyanu does not depend on whether the festival falls on Shabbat, and when the Shabbat and Yom Tov blessing is said, Shehecheyanu follows it.
Yom Kippur
On Yom Kippur we light candles before the fast begins, as on Shabbat eve, and the lighting time appears on the site. Many people also light a long burning candle that stays lit through the fast and is used for Havdalah at the end of Yom Kippur, as explained in the Havdalah guide. It is best not to delay the lighting, because preparing for the fast takes time.
A note
The details of these laws are found in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, chapters 502 to 514, and in the Mishnah Berurah. The topic of an existing flame and of Shehecheyanu in unusual situations is delicate, so if you are unsure, ask a rabbi before the holiday.
More guides
- How Shabbat candle lighting works: a complete guide
- Havdalah step by step: wine, spices, flame and Hamavdil
- Why candle lighting is 18 minutes before sunset, and how this site calculates