Candles, Oil and Singeing the Wicks?

What should be used for Shabbos candles?

Chazal say that any oil or wick is kosher for Shabbos candles, provided that it burns well and will not lead one to adjust the lamp and transgress kindling on Shabbos. Liquid wax is prohibited, and wax candles are the subject of debate.¹

Of the permitted oils, olive oil is the choicest, since its light is clearest. The Gemara says so of Chanukah lights, and the Alter Rebbe applies it to Shabbos. Where there is no olive oil, the Alter Rebbe prefers other clear-burning oils over candles, because of the poskim who forbid them.²

Yet the Rebbe records that in the Frierdiker Rebbe’s home, he never saw oil used for Shabbos or Yom Tov, only for Chanukah, and had not heard why.³ Elsewhere, after citing the Alter Rebbe’s ruling, he notes that the minhag Yisroel differs.⁴ The Rebbe’s own home, too, used candles, following the custom of beis harav.⁵

Likewise, the Chasam Sofer and others reportedly made a point of lighting candles,⁶ and the Mishnah Berurah suggested that contemporary candles, which burn clearly and pose no concern of tilting, may be better than oil.⁷ Harav Avraham Chaim Naeh notes that the custom in Eretz Yisroel was olive oil, but newcomers from abroad, unused to preparing oil lamps, kept to candles.⁸ Presumably, olive oil was scarce abroad, and the habit stuck.⁹

To help the wicks catch the flame better, women in the times of the Rishonim would singe them beforehand. The Rosh calls this “a nice custom,” and the Alter Rebbe writes the same, adding that it isn’t required min hadin.¹⁰ The Mishnah Berurah suggests that the husband do it in advance, so his wife isn’t held up at lighting time.¹¹ Yet, Harav Naeh notes that he hadn’t seen anyone do so,¹² and a reason is given that today’s candles light well without it.¹³

The Rebbe likewise writes that we don’t singe the Shabbos candles before lighting.¹⁴ When an assistant in the Rebbe’s home prepared the candles and singed them, the Rebbetzin later replaced the candles.¹⁵

Although the wife takes precedence in lighting, the Alter Rebbe recommends that the husband participate by preparing the wicks and candles.¹⁶ When a rav suggested at the start of the Neshek campaign that husbands are obligated to prepare the candles, the Rebbe replied that it isn’t an obligation and many don’t observe it.¹⁷ Yet, on another occasion, the Rebbe noted the minhag for the husband to participate in the preparation, such as by bringing the candles or matches.¹⁸

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