Havdalah After Yom Kippur
Havdala is generally the prayer that we say when exiting a holy day to begin the work-week. It is said after Shabbat and after holidays such as Sukkot and Pesach.
Join Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman and learn about the Havdala after Yom Kippur, which has a unique Halacha regarding the candle and its flame.
Havdalah After Yom Kippur: Havdalah After Yom Kippur
Hello Everyone,
Yom Kippur is unlike the other holidays in that it is forbidden to light a fire on Yom Kippur. In this respect it is similar to Shabbat. Therefore, after Yom Kippur, when we say Havdalah, we need to say the blessing בורא מאורי האש. But Yom Kippur is different from Shabbat in that respect. On Shabbat we light a match and then use the match to light a “Havdalah candle.” But on Yom Kippur that is unacceptable. On Yom Kippur, for Havdalah we need to use a candle which was lit before Yom Kippur and left to burn until Yom Kippur ended. This candle is known as “נר ששבת”- a lamp which was unused. Today we will discuss why the Havdalah candle of Yom Kippur is different from the Havdalah candle of Shabbat.
Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman graduated from Yeshiva University in 1980 and the dental school of Columbia University in 1985. In 1989 he began studying and teaching at Yeshivat Hamivtar and now studies and teaches at Yeshivat Machanaim in Efrat. He has rabbinic ordination from Rav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg.