Shabbat candle lighting is one of the most cherished and profound mitzvot entrusted to the Jewish woman. In a gentle, quiet moment, shortly before sunset, she lights the candles, thereby welcoming the sanctity of Shabbat—bringing light into the home and inviting serenity into the heart.

The paintings capture this exalted moment—the moment when Shabbat the Queen spreads her wings over the home, enveloping the family in calm, rest, and blessing. The soft glow of the candles illuminates the room, filling it with a sense of safety, warmth, and love.

The mother covers her eyes with her fingers, recites the blessing, and brings the pace of the day to a halt for twenty-four hours. From a place of inner stillness and deep connection, she lifts heartfelt prayers to God—for her children, for the home, for peace, health, and a good livelihood. It is a moment of closeness, trust, and an open heart, where outer light and inner light meet, transforming the home into a place of holiness and blessing.

The three paintings are oil on canvas, each measuring 90 × 90 cm, created in 2025.
The first painting is rendered in turquoise and blue tones, adorned with silver leaf and subtle shimmering accents

The second painting is rendered in tones of black, gray, and white, with a warm, yellowish light

The third painting is painted in shades of pink.

In 2018, I was already immersed in the new style I had created — luminous white oil paintings, pure and quiet minimalism, born from a search for inner light and refined simplicity, a style that touched many hearts.
At that moment, I felt a deep desire to bring the scene of Shabbat candle lighting into this new visual language — a moment so delicate and full of soul, one that required deep thought, sensitivity, and careful planning.

Slowly, the painting came into being. Clean, serene, almost whispering. The figure of the mother seems to dissolve into light, while the candles stand like delicate bridges between heaven and earth.
When the painting was completed, I stood before it with profound emotion. There was a rare purity within it, a quiet touch upon the heart — and the result moved even me.

In the past, I created additional works depicting Shabbat candle lighting in a realistic style.
In this painting, the children stand beside their mother, all dressed in festive Shabbat attire. The mother, after lighting the Shabbat candles, covers her eyes and pours out her heart in prayer and supplication for her family and her children—that they may walk in the path of Torah and reverence, and that the glorious tradition be carried forward from generation to generation.
The children take part in the moment with expressions of awe and purity, standing in silence and watching her prayer in a moment of holiness and inward gathering.
You can tell by their pure expressions how deeply they’re connected to the mitzvah
This work was painted in 2009. Oil on canvas

This painting depicts a moment of deep calm following the lighting of the Shabbat candles and the prayers.
The mother sits peacefully before the gentle flames, her gaze lifted toward the sunset descending over Jerusalem and blending with the candlelight.
A sense of calm and serenity envelops her entire being, and her heart fills with gratitude to the Creator for the gift of Shabbat—a time of inward reflection, breath, and inner illumination.
This work was painted in 2013. Oil on canvas

May we be blessed to “light a Shabbat candle” with joy and holiness