# Do men on their own light Shabbat candles?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-men-on-their-own-light-shabbat-candles/691114>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 18, 2014, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-men-on-their-own-light-shabbat-candles/691114 "2014-06-18T23:28:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-men-on-their-own-light-shabbat-candles/691114/1 "2014-06-18T23:28:58Z")

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I know that generally it is the women of a Jewish family who light Friday night candles. I live alone and always light candles on my own. But what about Jewish men who live alone, or a widowed father with small children (or no girl in the family old enough for the task)? My understanding is that men are permitted to light candles, but **do** they? I’m wondering about Orthodox practice as well as Reform practice.

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**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-men-on-their-own-light-shabbat-candles/691114/2 "2014-06-19T00:13:21Z")

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I know widowed men (one who has only a son) who light candles. Conservative denomination.

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**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-men-on-their-own-light-shabbat-candles/691114/3 "2014-06-19T00:21:02Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> A man living on his own, students in dormitories and men traveling on their own should not depend on candles being lit elsewhere, even by a wife, but rather they should light their own candles.

From [Here](http://www.torahmitzion.org/eng/resources/show.asp?id=328).  
(I thought it was standard SDMB policy to ask this kind of question on a Friday evening ;))

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**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-men-on-their-own-light-shabbat-candles/691114/4 "2014-06-19T01:52:10Z")

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> [@janis\_and\_c0](#):
>
> (I thought it was standard SDMB policy to ask this kind of question on a Friday evening ;))

Hehe. 😉

Thanks for those excellent replies.

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-men-on-their-own-light-shabbat-candles/691114/5 "2014-06-19T05:45:34Z")

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I know a gay male couple who are both Reform Jewish, and they take turns lighting the candles.