quote:

Originally posted by Raybin:
Then does the mother stop lighting an extra candle for him, when he is grown and out of the house?

No. My wife still lights 6 candles even though 1 of our 4 got married and left home several years ago.

We recently began to light with shemen instead of wax. There is a wonderful lamp oil that we have used instead of shemen zayit, but I'm not sure if its kosher. What are the requirements to make shemen kosher for lighting?

quote:

Originally posted by Yisroel Phillips:

quote:

Originally posted by Raybin:
Then does the mother stop lighting an extra candle for him, when he is grown and out of the house?

No. My wife still lights 6 candles even though 1 of our 4 got married and left home several years ago.

So once you have increased your amount of candles you light, you are not supposed to fluctuate or decrease the amount? What you have increased it to becomes your amount?

quote:

Originally posted by Raybin:
So once you have increased your amount of candles you light, you are not supposed to fluctuate or decrease the amount? What you have increased it to becomes your amount?

That's right. I also recall reading that once you use a certain size of candle, you shouldn't use a smaller size later on.

Is there any logic behind not decreasing once you have increased them? Six candles every week is alot compared to two.

Is there a normal size candle that is used on Shabbat, and how long does it burn? I use tea lights (votive candles). I haven't tried other candles because I thought they would burn too long. And on Shabbat you are not supposed to extinguish the flame, correct?

On chabad.org's website they say to light them eighteen minutes before sunset. Is there a reason for that? If you are late is it O.K. to light them as long as it is before sunset? What is the earliest you can light them?

Oils that flow well into the wick and light well are Kosher to light with. Only those that are mentioned in B'mah Madlikin, where it doesn't go after the wick and thus makes it flickers and you might need adjusting (which is a form of burning) is forbidden. I would assume that if those oils are made to light with that it doesn't have this problem.

quote:

Originally posted by Raybin:
Is there any logic behind not decreasing once you have increased them? Six candles every week is alot compared to two.

I believe it is because by lighting the increased number at least 3 times renders it in the form of a vow [Neder] which musn't be broken.

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Is there a normal size candle that is used on Shabbat, and how long does it burn? I use tea lights (votive candles).

I would think they are fine. The main point to bare in mind is that the Shabbos candles are because of "Shalom Bayis" [peace and harmony in the home] and should therefore be enjoyed and taken advantage of. So one should light them in a room where one will be spending some time while they are burning (usually the dining room) and they should obviously burn sufficiently long (i.e. until after dark) for one to be able to enjoy them.

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I haven't tried other candles because I thought they would burn too long. And on Shabbat you are not supposed to extinguish the flame, correct?

Absolutely correct.

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On chabad.org's website they say to light them eighteen minutes before sunset. Is there a reason for that? If you are late is it O.K. to light them as long as it is before sunset?

There is a concept of "Tossefes Shabbos" [adding time from the weekday to the Shabbos] so therefore one should bring in Shabbos some time before sunset. How much time varies from community to community, but 18 minutes is quite common, especially in the United States.

At a stretch (and this should not be done save in exceptional circumstances) one may go up to 2 minutes before sunset.

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What is the earliest you can light them?

Not before "Plag HaMincha" which is one and a half seasonal hours before sunset. A seasonal hour is one twelfth of the daylight hours so it varies depending on the time of year. At the moment it's about 50 minutes or so in the US.

Here's a link to access a webpage to find out what time is candlelighting all over the world.

Does it matter what color the candles are? Do they have to be white? I always thought they had to be white. once I could only buy green or red candles so I decided not to buy them, or light them for a very long time.

White looks nice for Shabbos, but at the end of the day the important thing is the light not the colour of the candles.

When it is Chanuka, do you light the Chanuka candles 18 mins before sunset in addition toShabbos candles?

Also, when is the best time to light Chanuka Candles on other Chanaka nights?

Quote "When it is Chanuka, do you light the Chanuka candles 18 mins before sunset in addition to Shabbos candles? "

Yes.

Quote "Also, when is the best time to light Chanuka Candles on other Chanaka nights?"

There is a wide range of opinions. Some say 10 minuets after sunset (In the NYC area.) Some say 40 minutes, some 50 minuets after sunset.

in all case, you should make sure there is enough oil to last for a half hour after definite nightfall (which is (to Rav Moshe in the NY area) 50 minuets after sunset)

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