Candles are lit on both nights of Yom Tob. As one is not permitted to prepare on the first day of Yom Tob for the second day, one may not prepare the candlesticks on the first day of Yom Tob so they are ready for that night’s lighting. Preparations for candle lighting are allowed only at night.
Some people use floating wicks – a piece of cork with a hole through which the wick is inserted, and which then floats in oil. There is a debate among the Halachic authorities as to whether one may prepare the floating wicks on Yom Tob by inserting the wick through the piece of cork. According to some authorities, this would be forbidden, since one thereby creates a mechanism, and this is thus akin to completing a utensil, which is prohibited on Yom Tob. In light of this debate, it is preferable to prepare on Ereb Yom Tob all the floating wicks that will be needed over Yom Tob, including for the second night.
It is forbidden to melt the bottom of a wax candle so it will stick to the surface on which it is placed, as this violates the prohibition of "Memare’ah" (smoothing a surface).
Although one is allowed on Yom Tob to light a candle or match from an existing flame, it is forbidden to create a new flame, such as by striking a match. Therefore, it is important to ensure before Yom Tob that there will be a flame available for the second night of Yom Tob so one can light candles. Today one can purchase tall glass candles that remain lit for several days, and it is advisable to obtain such candles and light one before Ereb Yom Tob in preparation for the second night’s candle lighting.
After lighting the candles on the second night of Yom Tob, one must put down the match or candle, rather than blow it out or shake it to extinguish it, as it is forbidden to extinguish a flame on Yom Tob.
When lighting candles on either night of Yom Tob, one recites the Beracha before lighting the candles. Although on Shabbat there are divergent customs in this regard, as some recite the Beracha before lighting the candles and some after lighting, on Yom Tob all agree that the Beracha should be recited before the lighting.
The custom in our community is that women do not recite the Beracha of "She’hehiyanu" when lighting Yom Tob candles. They fulfill the requirement of "She’hehiyanu" when it is recited at Kiddush.
In an earlier edition of Daily Halacha, we noted that on the second night of Yom Tob, one does not have to wait until dark before lighting the candles. Although it is forbidden to prepare on the first day of Yom Tob for the second day, nevertheless, one may light candles before dark on the second night because late in the day candles provide light and thus serve a purpose even for the first day. It must be noted, however, that this applies only if the candles indeed contribute some light. If the room is fully illuminated, such that the candles would not increase the amount of light in the room, then the candles may not be lit until nightfall, which is approximately 20 minutes or 30 minutes after sundown. In order to avoid confusion, a woman might want to simply wait until the men return home from synagogue, as it is certainly dark at that point.
