If you're staying at someone else’s home or a hotel, do you still light Shabbos candles? And if you do… should you make a bracha?

Rav Shlomo Katz explores the halachic layers of being an ore’ach—a guest—and whether lighting in someone else’s space fulfills the mitzvah of hadlakat nerot.

Drawing from Peninei Halakha, the Shulchan Aruch, the Rema, and the Mishnah Berurah, we unpack minhagim across Ashkenaz and Sephardic communities, modern safety concerns, and the deeper purpose of the mitzvah itself: the light, the place, and the benefit.

Can Shabbos candles be electric? What about fluorescent bulbs or LED lights?

Rav Shlomo Katz dives into the halachic and spiritual criteria for fulfilling the mitzvah of Hadlakat Nerot. What qualifies as a kosher Shabbos light, and why?

There’s a beautiful dance at candle-lighting time, but who leads first: the flame or the blessing?

Rav Shlomo Katz explores the two primary minhagim surrounding the order of lighting Shabbos candles and reciting the bracha.

Why do some light first and others bless first? What’s the deeper reasoning behind each approach? And how does this moment which is seemingly so small, open the gates to the holiness of Shabbos?

Is one candle enough, or should you light one for every member of your household?

Rav Shlomo Katz explores the halachic foundations and evolving customs behind Shabbos candle lighting. From the Mishnah in Bameh Madlikin to the teachings of Peninei Halakha, we look at how oil, wicks, and even Shalom Bayis all play a part in the flame.

We also unpack the minhagim of lighting two candles, adding for children, and what happens if a woman forgets to light entirely. A warm and practical journey into the light that welcomes the Shechinah each week.

Why is the mitzvah of lighting Shabbat candles traditionally given to women, and where should the candles be lit?

Rav Shlomo Katz learns from Peninei Halakha the deeper reason behind women’s role in lighting Shabbos candles, and the practical halachos that come with it.

Where did the mitzvah of lighting Shabbos candles come from?

Rav Shlomo Katz learns from Peninei Halakha about the origins and halachic purpose of this cherished obligation.

More than just a tradition, lighting candles brings shalom bayit, oneg, and kavod Shabbat into the home, transforming the atmosphere and marking the sacred transition from weekday into holiness.

What happens if you accept Shabbos early, but haven’t davened Mincha yet? Can you still pray a weekday Mincha after taking on Tosefet Shabbos?

Rav Shlomo Katz walks us through the dance between Torah law and rabbinic law, intention and obligation, personal timing and communal practice. From the flickering candles of Friday afternoon to the timing of davening and the spirit of Shabbos in the home, we explore what it means to usher in kedusha with clarity and joy without losing the mitzvah of Mincha along the way.

What is the proper way to acknowledge Tosefet Shabbat and actually make it real?

Rav Shlomo Katz learns from Peninei Halakha how taking in Shabbos early isn’t just about lighting candles or watching the clock. It’s about intention, declaration, and honoring the power of your own word.

Because when you say, “It’s Shabbos now,” it becomes Shabbos. And that moment of commitment has weight in halacha, and in Heaven.