Yarzeit * candle *Question

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Judaism -> Halachic Questions and Discussions

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother

Fri, Sep 21 2007, 8:11 am

When do you light a yarzeit candle ? thank g-d both my parents are alive.

chocolate moose

Fri, Sep 21 2007, 10:28 am

I never saw it growing up. I never light one.

It's not an actual halacha.

greenfire

Fri, Sep 21 2007, 10:48 am

well if you have nobody to light one for ... why would you ...

but some people do have a candle so that after yom kippur they have an existing flame to say havdala with ...

mugsisme

Fri, Sep 21 2007, 10:58 am

I light one at candle lighting time (on the day of the yartzeit). Are you lighting one for Yom Kippur? Do it before you bentch licht.

Leah

shopaholic

Fri, Sep 21 2007, 11:42 am

I was just wondering this this morning. have to ask DH. I can't remember if we ever light one or not & BH all our parents are alive.

shlumzmum

Fri, Sep 21 2007, 11:56 am

by us the men light one yuhrtseit candle before candle lighting, its called a "gezinte lecht" and we use this flame for havdala.

Annie

Fri, Sep 21 2007, 2:41 pm

you also want to make sure you have one to make havdalah with b/c you need a flame that was lit before Yom Kippur.

I light - one for my dad, one "ner neshama" and one for havdalah.

DefyGravity

Fri, Sep 21 2007, 2:59 pm

We also light a yarzheit candle b/c you need an existing flame for havdalah on YK. I had never heard of this before last YK, but we were told by my husband's Rav and also the Rabbi of the Lubavitch shul where we daven that you're supposed to do this.

The source is in Aruch Hashulchan 624:1,2 (that havdalah must be done from an existing flame).

MyKidsRQte

Sat, Sep 22 2007, 9:23 pm

I never heard of that till reading this now.

BrachaVHatzlocha

Sat, Sep 22 2007, 10:21 pm

I've heard of it.
My father used to do it when I was growing up.
If you notice on the candles it says for nishama or yom kippur. I think it's called a ner chaim or ner sheshavas.
I lit one (and B"H have both my parents), but it was out by the time we reached havdala.

greenfire

Sat, Sep 22 2007, 11:08 pm

From the Artscroll Yom Kippur Machzor:

"In addition to the festival lights on Yom Kippur Eve, two special candles are lit on Yom Kippur Eve, both of which should remain lit throughout the entire day. 1) One is נר הבריא light of the healthy [in yiddish דאס געזונטע ליכט ], is lit for each married man. Magen Avraham(610:3) explains that the reasons for this candle apply only to men. Nevertheless, a widow may light one for herself if she wishes (Matteh Ephraim 603:8 ). 2) One נר נשמה, light of the soul (sometimes referred to as a yitzkor or memorial lamp), is lit by eash man or woman with a deceased parent. Whether one or both parents are deceased, only one candle need be lit. This candle serves an an atonement for the sins of the parents.

It is preferable that the נר הבריא be larger than the נר נשמה.

Customs vary regarding the place where these lights are kindled: both in the synagogue; both at home; or one in the synagogue, the other at home. In any case, no blessing is recited over either of these special Yom Kippur lights."

sorry it's late but just read this over yk ...

miriamnechama

Sun, Sep 23 2007, 3:53 am

I light also my the neshamas befor yk. as far as a yartzeit, I light the night before at dark so as that itis lit all the day ofthe yartzeit.

dh also said that on a yartzeit it's a minhag to give mezonos and lechaim.

my brothers usually daven before the amud also on a yartzeit. it's ironic that you are asking this question cus I have yartzeit today....

Nicole

Sun, Sep 23 2007, 12:45 pm

Our minhag is to light one and leave it in our bedroom as a reminder to keep the harchakos on Yom kippur. We use this to do havdalah.

Ruchel

Tue, Jun 03 2014, 3:11 pm

I thought of this topic because my dad mentionned to me that he remembers his grandmother buying little "glasses" of solid oil (it went liquid when lit) for yurtzeit. So it seems it's not a recent practice (she was the dd of a rebbe and born in the 1880s).

wif

Thu, Jun 05 2014, 11:46 am

I light for my father on his yartzeit and every time we say yizkor.

etky

Thu, Jun 05 2014, 12:08 pm

wif wrote:

I light for my father on his yartzeit and every time we say yizkor.

That's what I do for my mother too. We also light one on Yom HaShashoa and Yom Hazikaron.

freidasima

Thu, Jun 05 2014, 2:39 pm

Yes we light for first degree relatives and on YK to have a "ner sheshovas" to light with, and there are those who light on yom hazikaron as well here in EY.

Page 1 of 1