(Heb.
ner neshamah or
ner zikkaron). A special lamp or light kindled in memory of a departed relative. Based on the scriptural idea that "the soul of man is a lamp for the Lord" (Prov. 20:27), this tradition seems to have originated in medieval Germany but soon spread to other Jewish communities (see also
). A memorial light is prescribed on three specific occasions: during the first seven days of MOURNING (shivah) in the home of a bereaved family; on the (Hebrew calendar) anniversary or yahrzeit of a parent's or other close relative's death; and on the eve of the DAY OF ATONEMENT. Since the memorial light (known in Yiddish as a yahrzeit-licht) must burn for at least 24 hours, normal wax CANDLES are unserviceable and specially designed lights (fitted into a glass or metal receptacle) are used instead. It is sometimes customary for a memorial light to be kindled on those festivals when Yizkor MEMORIAL PRAYERS are read in synagogue.Currently, in synagogues and homes for the aged, electrically powered memorial lights are often installed by bereaved families, a donation also being made for the recitation of KADDISH on the appropriate date. In Israel, Yom Ha-Sho'ah (Holocaust Memorial Day) and Yom ha-Zikkaron (Remembrance Day for Israel's fallen) are additional occasions for the kindling of memorial lights.
