וְזַכֵּנִי לְגַדֵּל בָּנִים וּבְנֵי בָנִים חֲכָמִים וּנְבוֹנִים, אוֹהֲבֵי ה', יִרְאֵי אֶלֺקִים, אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת, זֶרַע קֺדֶשׁ, בַּה' דּבֵקִים, וּמְאִירִים אֶת הָעוֹלָם בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים, וּבְכָל מְלֶאכֶת עֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא
Ve'zakeini le'gadeil banim u'vnei vanim chachamim u'nivonim, o'havei Hashem, yir'ei Elokim, anshei emes, zerah kodesh, ba'Hashem de'veikim, u'mi'irim es ha'olam baTorah u've'ma'asim tovim, u've'chol mi'leches avodas ha'Borei.
"Privilege me to raise children and grandchildren who are wise and understanding, who love Hashem and fear Hashem, people of truth, offspring that are holy, who to Hashem are attached, (who) illuminate the world with Torah and with deeds that are good, and with every labor in the service of the Creator." (Yehi Ratzon said over the Shabbos candles)
One source for lighting Shabbos candles is found in Parshas Beha'aloscha. Klal Yisrael was in the midbar and they started complaining about the monn. "We remember the fish we ate in Egypt free of charge..." (11:5) The Medrash Pliah remarks on this Passuk "Mi'kan she'madlikin neiros be'Shabbos." "From here we know that one is obligated to light candles for Shabbos." The obvious question is-what's the connection??
The Chida explains this Medrash Pliah as follows: First we have to understand what bnei Yisrael were complaining about. We know that the monn was able to taste like whatever one wanted. If that
is the case then what are they complaining about? They could just will the monn to taste like the fish back in Mitzrayim and then it would! Whats their problem?? So the Gemara in Yuma (74b) says that although they were able to make the monn taste like anything they were craving, nevertheless, the monn still just looked like monn. Even though they were able to make the monn taste like fish, they lacked the enjoyment and satiety which comes from seeing the food which they wished to taste. (The Gemara there even says that a blind person won’t enjoy or become as full from a meal as a person with normal vision who consumes the same food!)
So based on this complaint the Medrash Pliah was concerned how someone would avoid the same problem on Shabbos. Since one can't light a fire on Shabbos, how will one be able to enjoy the delicious food he is eating Shabbos night? The Medrash therefore concludes that that from our Passuk we may derive that one is obligated to light candles on Shabbos!
The Chida explains this Medrash Pliah as follows: First we have to understand what bnei Yisrael were complaining about. We know that the monn was able to taste like whatever one wanted. If that
is the case then what are they complaining about? They could just will the monn to taste like the fish back in Mitzrayim and then it would! Whats their problem?? So the Gemara in Yuma (74b) says that although they were able to make the monn taste like anything they were craving, nevertheless, the monn still just looked like monn. Even though they were able to make the monn taste like fish, they lacked the enjoyment and satiety which comes from seeing the food which they wished to taste. (The Gemara there even says that a blind person won’t enjoy or become as full from a meal as a person with normal vision who consumes the same food!)So based on this complaint the Medrash Pliah was concerned how someone would avoid the same problem on Shabbos. Since one can't light a fire on Shabbos, how will one be able to enjoy the delicious food he is eating Shabbos night? The Medrash therefore concludes that that from our Passuk we may derive that one is obligated to light candles on Shabbos!
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(Shabbos Candles pic courtesy of uos.co.za)
(Fish pic courtesy of starfish.govt.nz)
(Fish pic courtesy of starfish.govt.nz)
