Candlesticks
Candles play a pivotal role in Judaism. We use candles to bring in the major holidays; the entire eight days of Hanukkah involve lighting the Menorah candles, which explains why the holiday is also known as the Festival of Lights; finally, and most commonly, we use candles on Shabbat, both at the beginning, on Friday night, and at its departure, on Saturday night. We also light candles on Jewish holiday. Due to the candles’ essential role, it is customary to invest in beautiful Shabbat candlesticks in order to maximally venerate the Shabbat Queen. It is a Mitzvah to beautify the Shabbat with lovely candlesticks and other synagogue items such as Tallitot adorned with a stunning Atara.
Although the inherent religious value lies within the candles and not the candlesticks, the latter allow for much artistic freedom and personal preference. The candles are lit by the woman of the household, and she is commanded to light only two, one to “remember” and the other to “keep” the Shabbat. One of the advantages of buying Shabbat candlesticks is that they can be found in abundance everywhere, not solely in Judaica stores. Candlesticks are a great gift for a Bat Mitzvah.
Sterling silver Shabbat candlesticks are always a popular choice. People seem to be extremely fond of sterling silver Judaica for different reasons. For example, perhaps since silver has been in use for such a long time, it feels almost nostalgic, as people may have seen it at their own grandparents’ when they were younger.
Another, sometimes less expensive, option that lately inundates the Judaica market are the wooden candlesticks. These come in an assortment of colors and shapes, and they are known for the colorful design. The lacquered candlesticks are often based on a certain motif, such as the seven species, floral, and more. These are great as an addition to an already-colorful havdalah set.
For the mystically-inclined, there are candlesticks that evoke spiritual figures in the Torah or bear esoteric inscriptions. For example, some stunning Shabbat candlesticks are shaped like Cherubs, a type winged angles. Cherub-shaped Shabbat candlesticks will have two cherubs vis-a-vis, and since the Cherubs used to manifest in different forms, the artists have a lot of freedom to be creative when shaping the angelic figures. Some of those candlesticks will also have Hebrew letters and inscriptions etched on them. Although at times the end products’ details are not entirely in line with the Biblical source, they nonetheless make for beautiful pieces of art.
Since there is such a wide selection of candle holders from which to choose, experience has taught us that buyers will often not end up with the items they initially wanted, but with something they fell in love with as they shopped around. We recommend, then, to be open-minded when shopping for candlesticks. Additionally, if buying candlesticks for a Havdalah Set, we advise you to think about the set as a whole, and which candlesticks will be the best fit for it. Be sure to contact us with any questions regarding candlesticks.