Question: Rosh Hashanah 5787 begins on Friday evening, so the first night of Yom Tov is also Shabbat, while the second night begins immediately after Shabbat. When should the candles be lit on each night? Should the Rosh Hashanah candles be lit before or after the Shabbat candles, and what preparations must be completed in advance?
RAMI: This year, Rosh Hashanah begins on Friday evening, 11 September 2026. Because the first night possesses both the sanctity of Shabbat and that of Yom Tov, there are not two successive candle-lightings—one for Shabbat and another for Rosh Hashanah. The same candles honour both.
They must therefore be lit on Friday before sunset, at the locally published Shabbat candle-lighting time. They may not be lit after sunset, even from an existing flame, because transferring a flame, although ordinarily permitted on Yom Tov for a permitted purpose, remains forbidden on Shabbat.
The blessing for this combined lighting is:
ברוך אתה ה׳ אלהינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להדליק נר של שבת ויום טוב
“Blessed are You, Hashem our G-D, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the light of Shabbat and Yom Tov.”
According to Maran HaShulchan Aruch and the general Sephardi practice, the blessing is recited before lighting the candles. A woman whose established family custom differs should continue according to that custom (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 263:5).
The second night requires particular care. It begins on Saturday evening, 12 September, but the candles may not be lit while Shabbat remains in force. One must wait until the locally published conclusion of Shabbat. Those who regularly observe the later conclusion of Shabbat according to Rabbeinu Tam should also wait until that time.
Before performing any act permitted on Yom Tov but forbidden on Shabbat, a person who has not recited the distinction between Shabbat and Yom Tov in Arvit should say:
ברוך המבדיל בין קודש לקודש
“Blessed is He Who distinguishes between holiness and holiness.”
This is not the complete Havdalah ceremony, but it permits the person to begin undertaking activities permitted on Yom Tov. The formal Havdalah is incorporated into the second-night Kiddush in the order known as יקנה״ז—wine, Kiddush, the blessing over fire, Havdalah and Shehecheyanu. No spices are used.
The second-night candles must be lit from a flame that was already burning before Shabbat began. A long-burning memorial candle or another safely maintained flame should therefore be lit on Friday afternoon and must be capable of lasting until after Shabbat. A new flame may not be created by striking a match or operating an ordinary lighter. After transferring the flame, the taper or match must not be extinguished deliberately; it should be placed somewhere safe and allowed to go out by itself (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 502:1 and 514:5).
The blessing on the second night is:
ברוך אתה ה׳ אלהינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להדליק נר של יום טוב
“Blessed are You, Hashem our G-D, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the light of Yom Tov.”
All practical preparations for the second-night candles should be completed before Shabbat begins on Friday. This includes placing the candles in their holders, preparing oil and wicks, inserting wicks into floating holders and ensuring that the candlesticks are ready. Wax candles should not be softened or melted at their base on Yom Tov in order to attach them to a candlestick, because this may involve the prohibition of smoothing. Candles should instead be secured in advance or placed in holders that do not require melting or reshaping (Yalkut Yosef, Hilchot Yom Tov, p. 506).
Nothing may be prepared during Shabbat solely for the second night of Rosh Hashanah. One should not arrange the candlesticks, replace the candles, prepare the wicks or clear away the remains of the first-night candles before Shabbat has ended. This follows the prohibition against preparing during one sacred day for the following day (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 503:1; Chazon Ovadia—Yamim Nora’im, p. 182).
According to the ruling of Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef, women should preferably not recite Shehecheyanu when lighting the Yom Tov candles. They should instead fulfil this obligation by hearing and answering Amen to Shehecheyanu during Kiddush. If a woman follows a custom of reciting it at candle-lighting, she should not answer Amen to the same blessing during Kiddush, since she has already fulfilled her obligation (Chazon Ovadia—Yamim Nora’im, p. 62).
The essential distinction is therefore straightforward: on Friday, one combined Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah lighting takes place before sunset; on Saturday night, the second-night candles are lit only after Shabbat has completely ended, using the flame prepared before Shabbat. Careful preparation on Friday prevents the honour of either sacred day from being compromised.
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RAMI Q&A is a regular Jewish Dispatch column addressing questions on Torah, ethics, faith, culture, and the practical challenges of modern life. Each response is grounded in Jewish thought, clarity of reasoning, and fidelity to first principles, offering considered answers rather than opinion or sentiment. To submit a question, email ask@ramibenzeev.org.
Rabbi Rami ben Ze’ev was previously known as Ram ben Ze’ev. The addition of the letter י represents a personal step of spiritual refinement and deeper alignment with Torah, expressing humility, growth, and a strengthened commitment to the service of G-D. All teachings and writings are now published under this name.