וַיַּקְהֵ֣ל מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֶֽת־כָּל־עֲדַ֛ת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֑ם אֵ֚לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה לַעֲשֹׂ֥ת אֹתָֽם׃ שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִים֮ תֵּעָשֶׂ֣ה מְלָאכָה֒ וּבַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י יִהְיֶ֨ה לָכֶ֥ם קֹ֛דֶשׁ שַׁבַּ֥ת שַׁבָּת֖וֹן לַיהוָ֑ה כָּל־הָעֹשֶׂ֥ה ב֛וֹ מְלָאכָ֖ה יוּמָֽת׃ לֹא־תְבַעֲר֣וּ אֵ֔שׁ בְּכֹ֖ל מֹשְׁבֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם בְּי֖וֹם הַשַּׁבָּֽת׃ (פ)
And Moshe gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said to them, These are the words which the Lord has commanded, that you should do them. Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whoever does work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the sabbath day.
(א) לא תבער אש וגו'. - למה נאמר? לפי שהוא אומר: בחריש ובקציר תשבות, שבות מחריש בשעת הקציר, שבות מערב שביעית לשביעית, אין לי אלא שהוא שובת מערב שביעית לשביעית. יכול כן ישבות מערב שבת לשבת? והדין נותן: הואיל ושביעית לשם השם, ושבת לשם השם, אם למדתי שהוא שובת מערב שביעית לשביעית, כך ישבות מערב שבת לשבת! ועוד קל וחומר: ומה שביעית שאין חייבין עליה לא כרת ולא מיתת בית דין, דין הוא שישבות מערב שביעית לשביעית, שבת שחייבין עליה כרת ומיתת בית דין, דין הוא שישבות מערב שבת לשבת! ולא יהיה רשאי להדליק לו נר, או להטמין לו את החמין או לעשות לו מדורה?! ת"ל: לא תבערו אש בכל מושבותיכם ביום השבת, ביום השבת אי אתה מבעיר, אבל אתה מבעיר מערב שבת לשבת.
Composed in Talmudic Israel/Babylon (135 CE). Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael is a halakhic (legal) midrash on the book of Exodus that incorporates aggadic material as well, compiled around the third century in Israel. It interprets only about a quarter of the chapters in Exodus, beginning from the first commandment in the book. The work is quoted often in later rabbinic literature and is also referred to as Mekhilta.
(1) "You shall not light a fire in all of your dwellings"... So that one should not be permitted to light a candle (on Sabbath eve to burn on Sabbath) or to put hot dishes in a chafing stove (to preserve their heat). It is, therefore, written "You shall not light a fire in all of your dwellings on the day of Sabbath." On the day of Sabbath, you may not do so, but you may do so from the eve of Sabbath for Sabbath.
We learned in the mishna that Rabbi Yishmael says that kindling a lamp on Shabbat with tar is prohibited. The Gemara asks: What is the reason for this? Rava said: Because its odor is bad the Sages issued a decree prohibiting the use of tar, lest one forsake the light and leave. Abaye said to him: And let him leave. What obligation is there to sit next to the light? Rava said to him: Because I say that kindling Shabbat lights is an obligation [chovah], and one is required to eat specifically by that light in deference to Shabbat. As Rav Naḥman bar Rav Zavda said, and others say that it was Rav Naḥman bar Rava who said that Rav said: Kindling the Shabbat lamps is an obligation, whereas washing one’s hands and feet with hot water in the evening prior to Shabbat is merely optional. And I say: Washing is not merely optional; it is a mitzva even though it is not an obligation.
"חובה" - כבוד שבת הוא, שאין סעודה חשובה אלא במקום אור כעין יממא...
"Obligation" - This is included in "honoring Shabbat" (Kavod Shabbat), for a festive meal is not important unless it is in a place where it is as bright as day [i.e. where there is light]...
אָמַר רָבָא: פְּשִׁיטָא לִי, נֵר בֵּיתוֹ וְנֵר חֲנוּכָּה — נֵר בֵּיתוֹ עָדִיף, מִשּׁוּם שְׁלוֹם בֵּיתוֹ. נֵר בֵּיתוֹ וְקִידּוּשׁ הַיּוֹם — נֵר בֵּיתוֹ עָדִיף, מִשּׁוּם שְׁלוֹם בֵּיתוֹ.
Rava said: It is obvious to me that there is a set list of priorities. When a person is poor and must choose between purchasing oil to light a Shabbat lamp for their home or purchasing oil to light a Hanukkah lamp, the Shabbat lamp for his home takes precedence.
That is due to peace in the home [shalom bayit]; without the light of that lamp, the family would be sitting and eating their meal in the dark.
Similarly, if there is a conflict between acquiring oil to light a lamp for the home and wine for the kiddush of Shabbat day, the lamp for the home takes precedence due to peace in his home.
(ב) ...וּמַדְלִיקִין אֶת הַנֵּר אוֹ אֶת הַמְּדוּרָה מִבָּעֶרֶב וְהִיא דּוֹלֶקֶת וְהוֹלֶכֶת כָּל הַשַּׁבָּת כֻּלָּהּ:
(2) We may light a candle or a fire [before] evening so that it continues to burn throughout the entire Sabbath.
(ה) ...וְצָרִיךְ לְתַקֵּן בֵּיתוֹ מִבְּעוֹד יוֹם מִפְּנֵי כְּבוֹד הַשַּׁבָּת. וְיִהְיֶה נֵר דָּלוּק וְשֻׁלְחָן עָרוּךְ לֶאֱכל וּמִטָּה מֻצַּעַת שֶׁכָּל אֵלּוּ לִכְבוֹד שַׁבָּת הֵן:
(5) ...One should also prepare one's house on Friday before sunset in honor of the Sabbath [kavod shabbat]. A lamp should be lit, a table spread, and a bed properly arranged. All these are marks of respect for the Sabbath.
(א) הַדְלָ [קַ] ת נֵר בְּשַׁבָּת אֵינָהּ רְשׁוּת אִם רָצָה מַדְלִיק וְאִם רָצָה אֵינוֹ מַדְלִיק. וְלֹא מִצְוָה שֶׁאֵינוֹ חַיָּב לִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֶיהָ עַד שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂנָה כְּגוֹן עֵרוּבֵי חֲצֵרוֹת אוֹ נְטִילַת יָדַיִם לַאֲכִילָה אֶלָּא זֶה חוֹבָה. וְאֶחָד אֲנָשִׁים וְאֶחָד נָשִׁים חַיָּבִין לִהְיוֹת בְּבָתֵּיהֶן נֵר דָּלוּק בְּשַׁבָּת. אֲפִלּוּ אֵין לוֹ מַה יֹּאכַל שׁוֹאֵל עַל הַפְּתָחִים וְלוֹקֵחַ שֶׁמֶן וּמַדְלִיק אֶת הַנֵּר שֶׁזֶּה בִּכְלַל עֹנֶג שַׁבָּת. וְחַיָּב לְבָרֵךְ קֹדֶם הַדְלָקָה בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת. כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁמְּבָרֵךְ עַל כָּל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב בָּהֶם מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים:
(ב) מֻתָּר לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּנֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת. וְהוּא שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא הַדָּבָר צָרִיךְ עִיּוּן הַרְבֵּה. אֲבָל דָּבָר שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְדַקְדֵּק בִּרְאִיָּתוֹ אָסוּר לְהַבְחִינוֹ לְאוֹר הַנֵּר גְּזֵרָה שֶׁמָּא יַטֶּה:
(ג) הַמַּדְלִיק צָרִיךְ לְהַדְלִיק מִבְּעוֹד יוֹם קֹדֶם שְׁקִיעַת הַחַמָּה. וְנָשִׁים מְצֻוּוֹת עַל דָּבָר זֶה יוֹתֵר מִן הָאֲנָשִׁים לְפִי שֶׁהֵן מְצוּיוֹת בַּבָּתִּים וְהֵן הָעֲסוּקוֹת בִּמְלֶאכֶת הַבַּיִת. וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן צָרִיךְ הָאִישׁ לְהַזְהִירָן וְלִבְדֹּק אוֹתָן עַל כָּךְ וְלוֹמַר לָהֶן וּלְאַנְשֵׁי בֵּיתוֹ עֶרֶב שַׁבָּת קֹדֶם שֶׁתֶּחְשַׁךְ הַדְלִיקוּ אֶת הַנֵּר. סְפֵק חֲשֵׁכָה וְנִכְנַס הַשַּׁבָּת סָפֵק לֹא נִכְנַס אֵין מַדְלִיקִין:
(1) The kindling of a Sabbath lamp is not a matter left to our volition - i.e., [it is not a matter about which,] if one desires, one may kindle it, but if one does not desire, one need not. Nor is it a mitzvah that we are not obligated to pursue - e.g., making an eruv for a courtyard or washing one's hands before eating. Instead, it is an obligation1.
Both men and women are obligated to have a lamp lit in their homes on the Sabbath. Even if a person does not have food to eat, he should beg from door to door and purchase oil to kindle a lamp, for this is included in [the mitzvah of] delighting in the Sabbath [oneg shabbat].
One is obligated to recite a blessing2 before kindling [the Sabbath lamp], as one does before fulfilling any of the obligations incumbent upon us by virtue of Rabbinic decree. [The blessing is:] Blessed are You, God, our Lord who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the Sabbath lamp. [This blessing is derived from the blessing for Hannukah candles, with the ending changed from "l'hadlik ner shel Hannukah" to "l'hadlik ner shel Shabbat"]
(2) [Unlike Hannukah candles, whose light is only for the publicizing the miracle, and not for any other use,] it is permissible to make use of [the light of] a Sabbath lamp, provided that the matter does not require careful scrutiny. If, however, a matter requires one to look precisely, it is forbidden to use the Sabbath lamp to inspect it, lest one tilt [the lamp].
(3) The person who lights the Sabbath lamp should light it while it is still day [on Friday], before sunset.
Women have a greater obligation in this regard than men, for they are normally at home and are involved in the household tasks. Nevertheless, a man should alert them concerning this matter and check that they have done so. He should tell the members of his household on the Sabbath eve before nightfall, "Kindle the lamp."
If there is a question whether night has fallen and the Sabbath has commenced or whether the Sabbath has not commenced, the lamp should not be kindled.