Welcome to FridayLight

The sacred spirit of Shabbat is often referred to as the “Shabbat Queen.” The Shabbat Queen is symbolic of the feminine aspect of the Divine, the “Shechina”, G-d ’s dwelling presence.

As a Jewish woman welcomes the Shabbat on Friday night, she creates a sacred space within her home for the Infinite Light of G-d, and the Shabbat Queen enters.

As you ignite your Shabbat flame tonight, focus on the sacred space you are creating in your home, and try to make sure there’s a matching place inside your heart. When the Shabbat Queen arrives- you want to leave all doors open! Enjoy the visit.

After igniting your Shabbat flame tonight and before reciting the blessing, fulfill the age old custom of ushering in the light of Shabbat by waving your hands three times around the flames.  And then, after this painful week in which we have witnessed the atrocities that human hands can accomplish, focus on the holiness that hands can also bring into our world.
 

Hands can transform an abstract light into a physical act of kindness. Hands can express love, and reach out to a soul in need. Hands can usher in the light of Shabbat. As you do so tonight, concentrate on the many forms of light your hands will bring into this world in your lifetime.
 

Shabbat Shalom.

As you ignite your Shabbat flame tonight, think about this:

No matter how many times before, you have experienced light, in order to kindle this particular flame, you needed to acquire new material; wax, or oil, and a wick. You need to once again kindle the flame through a source of light. So it is with love, with joy, with anything Divine about life – you need to keep on working, keep on putting forth new effort - to keep the flame burning.

Shabbat Shalom!

I lit my first Shabbat candle at the age of 26, i.e. 2 months ago. It was the 6th anniversary of my grandmother’s death and I wanted that night to feel special. Someone suggested that I light a Shabbat candle, for myself, my beloved and in my grandmother’s memory. I liked the idea, as I thought that it was an easy gesture, which carried significant meaning.

I am (French) Jewish but I have a very secular life. I’m always interested in Jewish practices but I don’t necessarily apply them to my lifestyle. When I lit the candle and recited the blessing, I found myself spiritually connected to my beloved and in relation to G-d. It was a profound moment of inner serenity. I never thought it could feel this way. Also, especially since I live far away from my family and friends, I feel the need to express my belonging to the Jewish community. And when I think of all the Jewish women lighting the Shabbat candles all over the world, it warms up my heart.

Now each week I look forward to seeing the shining Shabbat flame. I have registered on www.fridaylight.org and I get the candle lighting time each week by email. My mum also registered from France. I think that this website is amazing and I encourage all Jewish women to visit it more often!

Our Sages taught: “The flame of G-d is the human soul.”

What is the mystical connection between a flame and a soul?

The answer lies within the natural attributes of the flame.

A flame is always reaching higher, to the source of all fire - a substance that surrounds this earth. Were the flame to accomplish its goal; namely, to leave its wick to cleave to its source… it would lose its very identity as a flame. It would no longer exist as a separate being.

The soul’s yearning is akin to this yearning of the flame. The soul desires to cleave to her Source in the Divine, shed her body and material existance- and be one with The Holy One, blessed be He.

However, Kabbalah teaches that the Divine will is that we channel this yearning to affect the way we live our lives on this physical plane - and create this Oneness within the most materialistic parts of our daily lives.