Simchat Torah Candle Lighting Times and Religious Significance

On October 2, 2026, the candle lighting for the eve of Simchat Torah will occur at various times across Israel. In Jerusalem, candles will be lit at 17:43 and extinguished at 18:58. Tel Aviv will see candle lighting at 18:04 and extinguishing at 19:00. Haifa's times are 17:54 for lighting and 18:59 for extinguishing, while Beersheba's are 18:04 and 19:00 respectively. Eilat's candle lighting is scheduled for 18:04, with extinguishing at 18:59.

Two blessings are traditionally recited before lighting the holiday candles. The first, "Baruch Ata Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel yom tov," acknowledges God's sanctification through commandments and the command to light the holiday candle. The second blessing, "Baruch Ata Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, shehecheyanu v'kiyimanu v'higiyanu lazman haze," thanks God for granting life and allowing one to reach this time.

Reflecting on Simchat Torah, meaning "rejoicing of the Torah," the late former chief rabbi of Great Britain, Jonathan Sacks, noted a theological point. He observed that the word "joy" appears only once in the first four books of the Torah, but 12 times in the fifth book, Deuteronomy. Rabbi Sacks explained that Deuteronomy, spoken by Moses to the Israelites at the border of the Promised Land, highlights that the true test is not hardship but a period of security and abundance. He contrasted the ease of maintaining faith during suffering with the greater difficulty of preserving spiritual connection during times of prosperity. Rabbi Sacks further distinguished between personal happiness and the communal joy central to Jewish tradition, emphasizing that true joy involves sharing one's well-being with others, including the lonely, poor, orphaned, and widowed, countering the self-absorption prevalent in modern society.