Conservative Halacha Tidbits
Yahrzeit Candles

by Joel Wiesen

It is traditional to light a 24-hour memorial candle (called a yahrzeit candle) to commemorate the yahrzeit (anniversary) of the death of a close relative. There is no blessing for lighting a yahrzeit candle. It is lit on the anniversary of the date of death according to the Jewish calendar. It is usually lit the previous evening, so if a yahrzeit falls on May 4th, the yahrzeit candle is lit in the evening of May 3rd. (If May 3rd is Shabbat, it is lit after nightfall. If May 3rd is Friday it is lit before nightfall.) Dan Nessen, our Ritual Director, sends out yahrzeit notices to members who have lost a close relative. If you are not getting annual yahrzeit notices, contact him at 617-558-8104.

Some people also light a yahrzeit candle before lighting the candles for Yom Kippur and for each of the other three days when Yizkor (the memorial service) is conducted in the synagogue (the eighth day of Pesach, the eighth day of Sukkot, more properly called Shemini Atzeret, and the second day of Shavuot). If lit then, usually one candle is all that is lit, even for many relatives.

The yahrzeit candle is left to burn itself out. (Since the bottom can get quite hot, be careful where you place it when you light it. If a real hazard develops in leaving the candle burning, it should be extinguished.) There is no restriction on the use or disposal of the empty candle container. Where a real candle is not possible (such as in a nursing home or hospital) some people use an electric yahrzeit light.

Many people also light a 24-hour yahrzeit candle for Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). Yahrzeit candles personalized for this use are available at no charge from the Temple Emanuel Brotherhood.

What if you forget to light a yahrzeit candle? If you forget to light the evening before, you can light in the morning (if it is not Shabbat). If you forget to observe the yahrzeit altogether, you should observe it when you remember. If you do not know the exact date of death, you should choose a Jewish date and then observe that date each year as the yahrzeit. One of the rabbis can help you choose a date. More information about yarhzeit candles can be found in A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice by Isaac Klein, published by the Jewish Theological Seminary.

These "tidbits" are from halacha classes offered by Rabbi Warmflash. A summary of halacha from a Conservative perspective, written by Joel Wiesen, is available at www.personnelselection.com/halacha.htm. Suggestions for topics for this column are welcome and should be addressed to