COMPOSITION AND SIZE OF THE SABBATH CANDLE

QUESTION:

The Chaplaincy Corps (of the military) supplies candles for Sabbath worship in the chapels and also, now, for Sabbath worship in the homes of married military personnel. Does Jewish law require that the candles be of some specific composition (as the Catholics require that their candles be at least fifty-one percent of beeswax)? Furthermore, since the services in the chapels are fairly brief and are over while the candles are still burning, may broken parts of candles be used so that they may go out (of themselves) by the time the services are over? May, also, soldier-families cut up larger candles so that they go out before the family retires? (Asked by Aryeh Lev, Director, Commission on Jewish Chaplaincy.)

ANSWER:

THERE IS A GREAT DEAL of discussion in the legal tradition as to what substances may and may not be used for the Sabbath light. All this is found in the second chapter of Mishnah Sabbath, in the well-known section Bameh Madlikin and in the Talmud, Shabbas, 21a ff. Of course all the discussion in that section on what may or may not be used for wicks, and what may or may not be used for the fuel (which oils, etc.) refers, not to our present-day candles, but to their oil lamps which were (in simplest form) a container of oil of some kind with a wick floating in it.

The motivation of the Catholic Church requiring over fifty-one percent of beeswax in the candles used in Catholic services is a spiritual one. The pure beeswax symbolizes the pure body of Christ (Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 347). But it is clear that the requirements of Jewish law, as given in Mishnah, Talmud and later codes, have no spiritual or symbolic intent at all, but are based on purely practical reasons. For example, most of the materials forbidden to be used as fuel are forbidden because of their evil smell, which might cause a person to leave the room or, at worst, in disgust to extinguish the light of the Sabbath, which is forbidden. The objection to certain wicks is that they are too coarse or too hard to suck up the liquid fuel internally; the fuel just runs up their outer surface and chars it, and thus causes it to throw off sparks. It is evident, then, that the only objection to any material constituting the Sabbath light is a practical one, not a religious one. See the discussion in Talmud, Shabbas, 21a, and in Orah Hayyim 264.

As for our modern-day candle, at first blush it would seem that it should be forbidden entirely because among the materials which the Mishnah and the Talmud forbid is wax, but all the commentators make it clear that it is only the melted wax that is prohibited in the old type of lamp. If it is made, as our candles are, as a cylinder of wax around the wick, it is permissible. See Rashi, at the bottom of Sabbath, p. 20b, and also the Shulchan Aruch, Orah Hayyim 264:7. Hence the matter is clear enough. As long as the candle has not an evil smell, as long as it does not keep on producing sparks, there is no objection to the material used.

Now as to the other question about the danger of the light burning too long after the services are over in the chapel, or after the family has retired in the home. It must be noted that although the extinguishing of light and fire is completely forbidden on the Sabbath, there are some exceptions. One may put the light out if the brightness of the room prevents an invalid from falling asleep {Orah Hayyim 278). Also it is permitted to cover the light if its flame may endanger the building. The Mishnah {Sabbath 16:7) speaks of endangering “the beams of the ceiling.” A cover may be put over the light, no t to extinguish it, but to keep the flame from doing any damage. Of course there must be enough air under the covering for the flame to continue burning ( Orah Hayyim 277:5). So you could cover the light in the chapel or in the home with a porous dome like the dome that we use to keep toast warm, or like a kitchen collander. In other words, you may shield the light to keep it from doing damage, provided you do not extinguish it (cf. Be’er Hetev).

Is it permissible to use smaller candles or parts of candles so that they may burn out before the people leave the chapel or the people at home retire? This question depends on a larger question, namely, whether there is a minimum duration period for the Sabbath lights to burn. There is such a minimum duration period, for example, for the Chanukah lights. The Chanukah lights were originally kindled at the door of the house so that passers-by could see them. Therefore the duration period of the Chanukah lights was fixed in relationship to the street traffic. The Chanukah lights should not be lit before sunset, nor later than the time when pedestrian travel has ceased in the streets (“till the footsteps have ceased in the street”) {Sabbath 21 b, Orah Hayyim 672). After this latter period (i.e., when pedestrian traffic ceases) the proper time is considered past and thereafter secular use may be made of the Chanukah lights. See also Responsa Rashba, # 170.

Is there such a definite time limit set for the Sabbath lights? There is a time set for the beginning of the lighting of the Sabbath lights. It should not be before sunset (Orah Hayyim 261:1). But if one wishes “to add from the profane to the holy,” i.e., to begin his Sabbath observance sooner, the lights may be lit earlier. See Isserles to Orah Hayyim 261:1 and 2; also 263:4. But nowhere in the law does it say, as it does about Chanukah, what the end time limit is. Therefore it may burn an hour or two or three, or all night if that is desired. There is no period at which, as with Chanukah, one can say “its proper time is past.” However, the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (75:2) says they should burn at least till the meal is over. This is not very long. Therefore it makes little difference how large or how small the candle is.

As for broken parts of candles, there can be no objection to these either. It is, of course, preferable to have a whole loaf of bread for the Motzeh, or a full cup of wine for the Kiddush, but nowhere is any preference expressed for a complete, unbroken candle. After all, the original Sabbath light was just a dish of oil and a wick.

To sum up: Any material, except ill-smelling or inefficient material, may be used in the Sabbath candle. It may be covered to protect it from damaging the chapel after the services are over. There is no objection to using a small or a broken candle, since there is no fixed time limit as to how long the Sabbath light must burn.