Lighting Shabbat Candles II
See here for part I.
In the literature of the Geonic period one finds sources which discuss the two central questions which the Talmud does not address, whether lighting shabbat candles is kabbalat shabbat and if one recites a blessing over their lighting. In Halakhot Gedolot there is a clear statement that lighting shabbat candles is kabbalat shabbat.
And where one needs to light Hanukkah candles and shabbat candles, first one lights Hanukkah candles and goes back and lights shabbat candles, since if one lights shabbat candles first, it became forbidden for them to light Hanukkah candles. What is the reason? Because if one lights shabbat candles first they have accepted [the prohibitions-MM] of shabbat on themselves and it became forbidden for them to light Hanukkah candles. (Laws of Hanukkah)
In my opinion it is not surprising that the author of Halakhot Gedolot does not bring any Talmudic source to justify the opinion that lighting shabbat candles is kabbalat shabbat, since there isn’t one.
A second important source from the Geonic period is a responsum from Rav Natronai Gaon. This responsum is found in numerous sources, including Seder Rav Amram Gaon at the beginning of Seder Tefillat Shabbat, and the text below is from Robert Brody’s edition of Rav Natronai Gaon’s responsa, pp. 173-5.
One who lights a shabbat candle needs to make a blessing. What is the reason? Because it is an obligation (hovah), as we say “the lighting of a shabbat candle is an obligation, as Rabbi Yehudah said that Shmuel said, ‘the lighting of a shabbat candle is an obligation’” (Shabbat 25b) and the Rabbis relied upon the verse “You will know that your tent is secure” (Job 5:24). And we found that in a situation where it is impossible [to light shabbat candles, lighting shabbat candles] takes priority over other commandments, as Rabbah said “It is simple, [if one can only perform the commandment of] either lighting shabbat candles or Hannukah candles, lighting shabbat candles has priority and one is obligated to {bless} and to light shabbat candles. If you will say, from where are we commanded [the blessing contains the formula "and commanded us"-MM]? [The answer is] from Rabbi Eivei (?) and Rav Nachman the son of Yitzhak [see Shabbat 23a].
It is interesting that we find in the siddur of Saadiah Gaon (p. 109-It should be pointed out that the Hebrew below is a translation from the Arabic.) evidence that the blessing, while widespread, was not universally recited.
Before sunset on Friday, one is obligated to light a shabbat candle and most of us bless on it “to light the shabbat candle.”
In Robert Brody’s notes (n. 5) to the above responsum of Rav Natronai Gaon, he addresses a commonly held belief, that the blessing over shabbat candles was instituted as an anti-Karaitic polemic. Brody is doubtful about this claim for the following reasons: 1. Rav Natronai Gaon had little, if any, contact with Karaites and he obligated the recitation of a blessing; 2. Saadiah Gaon, who invested much time and energy fighting against the Karaites, does not obligates the recitation of a blessing, he just testifies that most people do recite a blessing.
Another important issue is whether one can recite a blessing that is not found in the Talmud. An excellent discussion of this question can be found here.