Last night, I was pulled in off the street to help an unfamiliar shul make a minyan for Mincha/Ma'ariv. The rabbi greeted me, and when he learned I do not speak Hebrew, he gave me a very nice blessing about my future with Hashem. Then he said, "We're going to light the candles. Please, …" and he ushered me toward a table covered with candlesticks. Then he went to start davening, and I was left to figure out what to do.
I'm a Conservative Jew, though I feel pretty comfortable in an Orthodox environment, however this was probably only my second or third time davening with a mostly Hasidic minyan. I have never heard of lighting candles on a weekday night when there is no holiday, and I didn't know whether to say a bracha, and if so, which one. I just lit the candles without a bracha, and then we went on to daven. Does anyone know more about this practice?
Answer
Many synagogues - mainly Orthodox, not specifically Hassidic, light two candles in front of the Chazzan's (cantor's) table. The candles are on during the duration of the prayers and extinguished afterwards. (Some places use electric "candles"; others use wax. I prefer the wax, though it is a bit more dangerous, smelly, and messy.) It has nothing to do with yahrtzeit or any occasion other than praying, itself.
I located the reason for this custom in this article:
The Shulchan Aruch (151:9) writes that it is customary to light candles in order to honor the shul. The Mishnah Berurah (27) explains that this corresponds to the practice in the Temple. He goes even further and rules (514:31) that although it is prohibited to light a candle at home on Yom Tov during the daytime (because the light is superfluous), it is permitted to light candles in shul. The Shelah (Tetzaveh 33) adds that candles should stay lit throughout the prayers, comparing this to the ner tamid in the Temple.
(The Shelah's comment is exactly as I had conjectured before I read the article. However, it does question if this is redundant if the shul already has a Ner Tamid. Many Hasidic shtiebels that are in a home, do not have one, so this makes more sense.
IMO, this is a nice custom, as it adds light to the shul, and, in a sense, signals everyone that prayers are about to start. (This could be one of the reasons for the custom, BTW.) It's a lot "friendlier" than someone banging on the bimah or even worse, on his Siddur. (In many places, I've found, the rabbi or gabbai yelling "Shah!", doesn't really do the job of getting the shmoozers' attentions.)
There is no blessing for the lighting, so you acted properly.
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