The Belzer Rebbe has introduced a new practice for Belzer chassidim worldwide, calling on families — and particularly women lighting Shabbos candles — to add an additional candle each Shabbos and Yom Tov as a zechus for Jewish souls who have drifted away from Yiddishkeit, with a tefillah that they return to their roots.

The special initiative was announced Wednesday evening during a gathering at the Belzer Rebbe’s residence in Kiryat Belz in Yerushalayim, attended by leading Belzer rabbonim. The Rebbe expressed his desire that those who are able to do so without undue difficulty add one candle each week when lighting Shabbos candles. Along with the tefillos traditionally offered at that special time for one’s own children, families are being asked to daven for fellow Jews who have strayed, that they merit to return beneath the wings of the Shechinah and that Klal Yisroel merit the complete geulah soon.

Rav Pinchos Friedman and Rav Menachem Yisroel Reisman addressed the gathering in the presence of the Rebbe, speaking at length about the Rebbe’s longstanding devotion to bringing Jewish souls closer to Yiddishkeit. They expressed the hope and tefillah that the day will soon come when all of Klal Yisroel will be united in serving Hashem wholeheartedly.

At the beginning of his remarks, Rav Friedman formally announced the new practice on behalf of the Rebbe.

“By the holy instruction of the Rebbe, in the presence of the distinguished rabbonim and morei hora’ah, we hereby announce a practice requested by the Rebbe: Every Erev Shabbos, each person should add one candle for all the distant souls who, unfortunately, are far from Yiddishkeit, that they should merit to draw closer to kedushah, in the spirit of ‘For a mitzvah is a candle and Torah is light.’”

Rav Friedman then related that the Rebbe had asked, “What will be with Zeide’s candle?”

The Rebbe was referring to a well-known story from Belz concerning his grandfather, Rav Yissachar Dov Rokeach, the Mahari”d of Belz. In earlier generations of Belz, candles were prepared on the day of the Yud-Gimmel Middos on behalf of Jewish souls. One year, after the Mahari”d had completed preparing the candles, he took another wick and explained that he was preparing that candle for Jewish soldiers who were unable to properly observe the holy day.

The Mahari”d then took yet another candle and said that it was being prepared for Jews scattered throughout the farthest reaches of the world, “from Bohemia to San Francisco,” who did not even know that it was the holy day.

Rav Friedman also quoted the Belzer Rebbe as invoking the teaching that one who davens for another person while needing the same thing himself is answered first. By davening for Jews who have strayed from Yiddishkeit, he said, families can hope to merit that their own children continue along the path of Torah and yiras Shomayim.

The rabbonim further recalled a tradition dating back to the Sar Shalom of Belz that the preparation of the Shabbos candles is an especially auspicious time for bringing about yeshuos and refuos. They expressed the hope that the Rebbe’s new initiative — lighting an additional candle on behalf of Jewish souls — should bring blessing and salvation to Belzer chassidim and particularly to the Rebbe himself, with the tefillah that he continue leading his chassidim until the arrival of Moshiach.

At the conclusion of the gathering, the Belzer Rebbe personally emphasized that the practice should not become an undue burden.

“Adding a candle is certainly a great matter, and for someone who can light it without difficulty, it is a good thing!”

The Rebbe then requested one candle for himself and sent another to his son, Rav Aharon Mordechai Rokeach.