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According to Jewish tradition a married woman must light candles on the eve of the Sabbath and Jewish holiday. The most common custom is to light two candles, one to "remember" Shabbat and one to "guard" Shabbat. (G-d uttered both these aspects in one breath, during the Ten Commandments).
In many families silver candlesticks have been passed down through the generations. Today it is common in many communities that the mother of a 'hatan' (bridegroom) buys silver candlesticks for her future daughter-in-law.
Hadad Bros. make a large variety of pure silver candlesticks in all shapes and sizes, varying from the modern to the traditional, to suit every taste.
The lighting of the Sabbath candles is the last act of "Chol" or "weekday activity" before the Sabbath, essentially dividing between the 6 days of creation and the holiness of the Sabbath. Some say the tradition goes back to the matriarch Sarah, who according to Midrash Rabbah (Breishit 60) would light a lamp before Friday, before the Sabbath and it would miraculously stay lit till the following Sabbath. When she died, the lamp went out permanently until Rivka married Isaac, and the miracle returned. And indeed, traditionally women are the ones who light the candles for the household, and usher in the peace and tranquillity of Sabbath.
Practically, the custom comes from the time of the Talmud where lighting candles before the Sabbath was a practical matter, it was dark out and in order to truly experience the joys of the day, one had to be able to see ones food, children etc. As such, the candles are generally placed on the table to provide light for the diners.
The Grand Rabbi Joseph ben Ephraim Caro, better known as Maran or the Mechaber, says in his colossal work the Shulcan Aruch (263(1)) “One should be meticulous in what type of candle that is to be used and that many use two high quality candles. Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan in his famous commentary the “Misnah Berurah “ says (263(3)) it is preferable to have one proper candle than to have 2 low grade candles. Rabbi Moses Isserles better known as the Ramah also comments on what Rabbi Karo says (263(1)) by saying that it is possible to increase the number of candles to three or more and that was the excepted custom, he further says that if a woman forgot to light once she should always increase the amount she lights by one.
The lighting of these candles are so important that if there were not enough money for both Shabbat Candles and Kiddush then the candles take preference because “the peace and tranquility of the home" are more important (Shulcan Aruch (263(3)). The blessing itself on the candles has different customs. The Rama says in Shulcan Aruch (263(5)) “there are those who say the blessing after lighting the candles and in this case the eyes are covered to make the blessing come before actual benefit of the candles.
The Misnah Berurah says in Shulcan Aruch (263(27)) that since on it is permissible to light on the holiday after the blessing (which would be forbidden on the Sabbath) then the blessing should be first and not the lighting. Rabbi Abraham Abele Gombiner, better known as the Magen Avraham, says that there should not be a change and the woman should always light and then make her blessing. That is also the opinion of the Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi better known as the Baal Hatanya, he explains that switching the order would cause confusion. Many other Rabbis disagree and say the order should be different on the holiday. They include Rabbi Yechezkel ben Yehuda Landau, better known as the Nodah Beyehudah, Rabbi Akivah Eiger, and Rabbi Avraham Danzig, better known as the Chaei Adam.
As with other Jewish ceremonial objects, like the Kiddush cup, the washing cup etc, the candlesticks became another outlet for Jewish artisans to express themselves. Some women only light one candle, but more commonly women light a pair, for "remember" (Zachor) and "keep" (Shamor), the two commandment expressions used in the Bible regarding the Sabbath. Others light one candle for each child, such that there are anything from 3 pronged candlesticks to 8 armed candelabras. The material of choice seems to be silver, though there is no halachic precept determining which material to use. Many are also made of pewter, copper, earthenware, glass and porcelain.