Lighting Shabbat Candles After Sunset

Its a desecration of the Shabbat to light candles after sunset.

Lighting shabbat candles after sunset. To light Shabbat candles after sunset is to desecrate Shabbat. In Talmudic times it was the custom to blow six shofar blasts before the onset of Shabbat. After blowing the third blast it was time to light the Shabbat candles.

The Shabbat candles should be lit before sunset but no more than 1¼ hours1 before sunset also known as plag haminchah2 Its never wise to procrastinate until the last moment so it is customary to light the candles no later than eighteen minutes before sunset3 Others have the custom to light twenty-three minutes prior to sunset4 To find out the candle-lighting time ie eighteen minutes before sunset. Although the predominant custom is to light Shabbat candles 18 minutes before sundown there are other customs. Learn more about Shabbat and Holiday candle lighting.

Another possibility is if you know you will come home too late you can have someone else light the candles for you in your home before sunset. Shabbat candle lighting times listed are 22 minutes before sunset however please allow yourself enough time to perform this time-bound mitzvah at. On holidays you can light later as well provided that you use a pre-existing flame.

So as we wrote the way to greet Shabbat if you are late is not to light and that is the greatest of honor. However - provided one is lighting the candles before sunset and only if there is an urgent need one can have in mind not to accept Shabbat immediately after lighting candles and one may do additional weekday activitiesThis should only be done if circumstances demand and one will be able to begin Shabbat within at most 10 minutes. Shabbat candles must be lit before sunset.

In most communities candle lighting time is eighteen minutes before sunset. According to Jewish law you cant begin Shabbat as early as you want. To light after sunset defeats the whole purpose.

For example the custom in Jerusalem and in Petach Tikvah is to light candles 40 minutes before sundown. After sunset Shabbat has begun even if you have not lit the candles and handling or lighting a flame is a desecration of the Shabbat and forbidden. One may sometimes ask a non-Jew to light for her during twilight in America up to roughly 40 minutes after sunset.