Kinneret Shabbat Candlesticks

As Shabbat begins, we kindle light.

The Midrash describes the Shabbat candles as a way of restoring a light that was lost at the very beginning of the world. Every Friday evening, we are given the opportunity to kindle it again - to bring a little more light into the world.

But this light is not only a great or abstract idea. It enters the home.

The Shabbat candles illuminate the table, bringing warmth, calm, and peace. Jewish law gives the light of the home precedence even over other mitzvot because of shalom bayit - peace in the home. A home filled with light is itself part of the joy and peace of Shabbat.

For generations, Jewish women have held a special place in bringing the light of Shabbat into the home. There is something deeply moving in this simple act, passed from mother to daughter across generations - lighting the candles, covering the eyes, and welcoming Shabbat with a quiet prayer.

I like to think of the Kinneret Candlesticks in exactly this way: earth transformed into a vessel for light.

The layers of clay evoke the earth of the Galilee, while the turquoise glaze carries something of the waters of the Kinneret. And from them, every Friday evening, rises a small flame.

A small light that warms the home, draws those within it closer - and brings a little of the light back into the world.