Halacha of the Week: Lighting Candles on Simchat Torah

By Rabbi Leonard Matanky

This year, Simchat Torah, will occur on Motzaei Shabbat, and therefore, one cannot light candles before Maariv/Hakafot. Therefore, when should the candles be lit?

While Shabbat and Yom Tov candles should ideally be lit at the beginning of Shabbat or Yom Tov AND at home (there are some exceptions to this latter issue) Rabbi Yehoshua Neuwirth suggests that on Yom Tov, if one is not at home for the meal, candles could even be lit when one returns home [Shmirat Shabbat K'hilchata vol. 2 chapter 43 note 24].

Therefore, when Simchat Torah is on Saturday night and candles could not be lit earlier in the evening (since it was still Shabbat) it would be permitted to wait until AFTER hakafot (even after the shul dinner) to return home and light Yom Tov candles.