Shabbat is a special day for us, the jewish people. It's our time to rest and take time to reflect on the week we had.
During shabbat we often enjoy quality time with our family and dedicate it to special activities that have been patiently waiting for shabbat, all week long.
Looking around, we see many other religions have their own version of shabbat - a special day of the week, dedicated to worshiping and taking time off from our daily routine.
While each religion has its way of signifying their special day, we have many ceremonies which are an important part of our faith. Starting from the special prayers at the synagogue, following to the delicious meals, but not forgetting the very first event, the opening ceremony for shabbat - the lighting of the candles.
Each home has a designated place for shabbat candles, and a ritual around preparing it. But we all get that same feeling when we see those candles flickering - shabbat shalom! A day of peace. A day of calm and relaxation.
Lighting the candles holds much significance, and throughout our lives we hear of many reasons for starting our shabbat with this beautiful ceremony.
Let's start with a more mental reason - the person lighting the candles closes their eyes and covers them with their hands. The house around us grows quiet while a silent prayer is spoken, and tears are not uncommon while lighting the candles. Just from looking at this setup, we can clearly distinguish that this ceremony is a comma, a stop sign - "Dear jew, you're now welcoming shabbat. Please take a deep breath and slow down". And how wonderful it is that we indeed do so.
Well, beyond this mental reason, we know the basic amount of numbers to be lit by a family is two. Some families choose to light more candles, one for each member of the family. But going back to basics, and looking at the reason for two candles, we know many pesukim are referenced to the reverence of shabbat. A well known one is שמור וזכור, or in it's full English version “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy". This paruk commands us to do two things regarding the shabbat - to remember it - shamor, and to keep it holy - zachor. It is said that we light two candles to uphold this important mitzvah.
As we mentioned before, each family has a spot dedicated for the candles and often an owner for the task - someone in the family, in charge of clearing that strip of countertop, pulling the candle holders out of the cupboard and preparing the candles in it. These are things we do every week, for most of our life, so habits and routines are formed. Our candle holders are so well seamed into this weekly process, that we often don't give them much thought. So we wanted to take a few moments in this piece today, to discuss these creative and versatile items in our lives. Think about it, you barely get to see the same candle holder twice.
Candle holders have a real place of honor in our tradition, and it's inspiring to see how imaginative and innovative artists get, when creating them.
We have the privilege of enjoying these unique creations every week, and even a bit more, during the holidays. Honoring the shabbat with a set of beautiful candle holders allows us to welcome this special day with splendor and to start it off with a statement we most connect to. Different candle holder designs carry different messages. For example, these tall smooth candlesticks by artist Avi Nadav send a message of quiet sophistication. These candlesticks are very popular around people of all ages and they make a great gift idea since their design is so universally appreciated.
Others might prefer to welcome shabbat with the Breast Cancer Awareness Candle Holders, sending a message of natural grace. The warm and elegant design makes this set feel like it belongs in a noisy home with plenty of family members admiring it, keeping quiet for those few precious moments while admiring it.
Wood art lovers would appreciate these Jerusalem Shabbat Candle Holders. Looking at these truly unique candle holders, we find ourselves imagining the winding streets of Jerusalem, narrow and full of life while all around us are homes in which candles are being lit to welcome the shabbat.
This more traditional set of candle holders will carry the message of family and tradition to every home, with its colorful design and interesting shapes.
Want to welcome shabbat feeling like you're next to a gushing waterfall or in a high-budget movie? Get these wonderfully creative Quest Waterfall Candle Holders. You won't believe the compliments you'll get for these unique candle holders. They spark up the imagination, with their floral, watery, golden look.
Tu-BiShvat is right around the corner, and we have the perfect gift for this agricultural celebration - the Botanical Leaf Gold Candleholders. These lovely candle holders are great for every shabbat and holiday, and will remind your home of their love of nature and all growing things. What a pleasant way to start your shabbat.
As you can see, candle holders hold much significance in our life, as they are the decorative and ornamental expression of the important mitzvah. We hope you found this list useful and don't forget to browse through this versatile Candle Holders category to find many more beautiful options for welcoming your shabbat. .
