I recently watched the movie Fiddler on the Roof. In the scene showing the welcoming of the sabbath, all of the town’s matriarchs lit the candles, and then waved their hands over them. What is the significance of this motion?
I asked my orthodox buddy, my usual source for info on all things Judaic. He said, “Gee, my grandma always used to do that too. I don’t know why.”