CCAR RESPONSA
New American Reform Responsa
56. Why Kindle Two Lights on Friday Evening?
QUESTION: Why do we kindle two lights on Friday evening? (Aaron Cohen, Louisville KY) ANSWER: The origin of the shabbat lamp goes back to the Mishnah (M Shabbat 2.1). There and in the appropriate sections of the Talmud we see that only one shabbat light was mentioned. The discussions dealt with the nature of the fuel for the single light; whether it could be tallow, or various kinds of oil. Further discussions dealt with moving the lamp as well as extinguishing the light (Shab 20b ff). In none of these places as well as the later Talmudic discussion was a second light for erev shabbat mentioned. The first source of our custom seems to be Jacob ben Asher who wrote that it was customary to kindle a beautifully prepared light and that among some, two lights were kindled reminiscent of the two versions of the shabbat commandment in the Decalogue with the words shamor and zakhor. This custom was limited to the wealthy as the next sentences dealt with individuals who could not afford both shabbat and Hanukkah lights, or who did not have sufficient money for both the light and the wine for qiddush (Agur #358; Tur Orah Hayim 263; Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 263). Another minhag which arose during more prosperous times called for kindling lights or candles for every member of the family or for each child in the family (Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 263.1 ff). For this reason we find some older shabbat lamps with a large number of arms, five, seven or eight are fairly common (A Kanof Jewish Ritual Art pp 102 ff, S. S. Kayser (ed) Jewish Ceremonial Art pp 74 ff; I Schachar Jewish Tradition in Art pp 206 ff; H. J. Spiller The Cofeld Judaic Museum pp 20ff; Journal of Jewish Art Vols 1-15). We can see that it has become a general custom to have two lights in order to usher in the shabbat. However, one would certainly be acceptable and any larger number presents the continuation of a fine minhag.August 1991
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