Shabbat Candle Lighting - Regional Bikur Cholim

Shabbat is a gift of G-d especially for the Jewish people. It is the day when we take a break from our hectic daily schedules and set aside time to relax and enjoy the domestic tranquility of our homes. The customary Shabbat dinner includes a time-honored menu of freshly baked challah, inviting gefilte fish, steaming chicken soup, along with colorful salads and a main course of delectable meat or fowl.

On a more spiritual level, we gather at the synagogue on Friday evening to greet the arrival of the Shabbat with song and prayer. This is carried over to the home scene, where the meals are also spiced up by traditional tunes and melodies extolling the Shabbat and the Jewish home and by sharing insights and lessons from the weekly Torah reading. Shabbat morning brings its own flavor with Shabbat prayers and a festive meal, and these are repeated a third time on the Shabbat afternoon.

Friday can be a hectic time as we finish the final preparations, but as night begins to fall we wind down our activities and focus on the sanctity of the moment at hand.

The Shabbat is ushered in by the Jewish mother lighting a pair of Shabbat candles shortly before sundown. This is a hallowed moment reserved for introspection and prayer. For many generations Jewish women prepared for this moment by setting aside a sum of money, however large or small, for charity. The simple yet sincere gesture guarantees that we begin our day of enjoyment by remembering others.

At Regional Bikur Cholim we are always busy thinking of others, on Shabbat and all week long. We provide special Shabbat meals to ensure our patients can experience the joy of Shabbat even when they cannot relax with their families at home. You can be part of this effort by supporting our activities and helping us spread the peace and tranquility of Shabbat, which the Talmud identifies as a source of healing for all.

A wonderful way to ensure your Shabbat begins on the right foot is by making a donation every week right before Shabbat candle lighting to the Regional Bikur Cholim Segulah Pushka. Join generations of Jewish mothers who combined charity with devotion to transform your Shabbat into a day of special meaning. At the same time you are joining Regional Bikur Cholim in sharing the light of Shabbat with those less fortunate than you.