Question:
Question –
I just recently started observing Shabbat. I’m a healthcare worker and this Friday I couldn’t get the evening off, I work till 11pm. But I’m off Saturday.
1. When I get home on Friday night, is it ok to make Kiddush and the Blessing over Challah without lighting the candles?
2. Before I leave for work on Friday morning I’ll leave two lights on which I usually leave on during Shabbat and I don’t turn them off until Shabbat ends
3. I also live alone and I always buy one big challah loaf. Is it ok just to use that one loaf or do I always need 2 loafs?
4. Can I still do Havdalah even though I didn’t light the candles?
5. Also, the laws concerning Saturday Kiddush are not clear, I’m still searching the internet but so far haven’t found much
Answer:
Hello,
It is inspiring for me to see that you have started observing Shabbos even though you have challenges in doing so. you have all of my respect. please don’t hesitate to reach out to us, and you can ask whatever you want thru the site. Regarding your questions.
- There is no problem for you to make Kiddush and eat the shabbos meal, despite the fact that you didn’t light the Shabbos candles, as the two are not associated with each other. Lighting candles is in order to usher in the Shabbos, and to honor it and give a happy ambiance to the shabbos meal. related. Making Kiddush is a done to make a declaration that this day is special, and then we eat the special Shabbos meal.
- Leaving on the two light is a great idea, because in insures that you will have light on in your apartment when you get home. It is not as if you actually lit the Shabbos candles, as that has to be done closer to Shabbos. maybe there is a way for you to light the Shabbos candles in the staff room, make Kiddush and eat some bread there.
- There is an idea that on Shabbos make the hamotzei blessing on two loaves of bread, called “lechem mishna”. tis is done because G-d gave a double portion of Manna bread for each person for the Sabbath. we don’t have to cut both of them, rather just to make the blessing while holding both of them. Therefore it is better to buy smaller loaves, or even single portion ones, so that you can have enough to have that second one around for each meal.
- You may do havdalah even if you didn’t light the candles.
- Here is a quick link for some information. https://aish.com/48967396/, you can also try Hidabroot in English. Additionally, there is an book written by Rabbi S. B. cohen called the Radiance of Shabbos, published by Artscroll, which discusses all the laws of lighting candles, kiddush, etc. In fact he wrote a number of books about the laws of Shabbos, I recommend all of them.
Once again please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any question elated to judaism and keeping it’s laws, customs, or any other question you have.
Best wishes
