If you’ve ever walked into a shul on a Friday afternoon, watched a family light their menorah for Hanukkah, or stood by a neighbor’s candle during a shiva observance, you’ve probably noticed that not all Jewish candles burn the same. Some flicker steadily for the full required time, their flame bright and even; others sputter, burn too fast, or leave a thick, sooty residue that clings to the glass or the surface below. As a third-generation Jewish candle supplier, I’ve spent the last 18 years troubleshooting these small, critical details for synagogues, families, and community organizations across the U.S., and the question I get more than any other is: How do you determine the right wick for a Jewish candle? Jewish Candle
It’s not a trick question, but it’s one that requires balancing three things: religious law (halacha), practical use, and material science. Too often, people think choosing a wick is just a matter of picking one that fits the candle size— but that’s like choosing a tent stake without checking the weather forecast. A wick that works perfectly for a 10-hour shiva candle will fail spectacularly for a Hanukkah menorah that needs to burn for a full half-hour, and a wick that works for a small glass votive will leave a large pillar candle dripping wax all over a dining room table. Over the years, I’ve tested dozens of wick types, worked with rabbis to align every choice with halacha, and tracked burn data for thousands of custom candles to land on a process that works every time. Let me walk you through how we do it.
First, we start with the specific purpose of the candle— and that’s where most beginners go wrong. Jewish candles aren’t generic candles; each is designed for a specific mitzvah, and each has non-negotiable requirements. For example, a shabbat candle needs to burn for at least 18 minutes after sundown to light the way for the family’s meal and to welcome the Sabbath. A Hanukkah candle needs to burn for at least 30 minutes after the time when people are no longer in the street, so that the miracle of the oil is visible to others. A yahrzeit candle needs to burn for 24 hours straight, with no interruption, to honor a loved one’s memory. Even the small candles used in a synagogue’s eternal light (ner tamid) need to burn continuously for weeks at a time, day and night.
Each of these purposes translates to different burn times, different candle sizes, and different containers (if any). Once we know the purpose, we can narrow down the wick characteristics we need. The most important characteristic of a wick for Jewish candles is that it must be kosher— that means it’s made of materials that don’t absorb or produce non-kosher substances, and that it doesn’t introduce any foreign materials into the candle or the flame. For that reason, we never use wicks with metal cores, plastic coatings, or any synthetic materials that aren’t food-grade and halacha-compliant. All our wicks are 100% cotton, and some have a small paper core to help them stand straight, which is a non-negotiable for halacha. A wick that leans to one side can cause the flame to burn unevenly, and if the wax isn’t consumed evenly, the candle might fail to burn for the required time.
Next, we match the wick size to the candle’s diameter and burn time. This is where material science comes in. A wick works by drawing liquid wax up through its fibers via capillary action, then the heat from the flame vaporizes that wax, which burns. If the wick is too small, it won’t draw enough wax to keep the flame burning steadily, so it will sputter, go out, or burn too slowly. If the wick is too big, it will draw too much wax, causing the flame to be too large, which leads to dripping, sooty buildup, and the candle will burn through wax too fast, often failing to meet the required time. For example, a small 2-ounce votive candle for a yahrzeit on a small glass holder needs a thin wick— usually a 2-ply cotton wick— that draws just enough wax to produce a 1/2-inch flame, which is steady for 10 hours. A 10-ounce pillar candle for Hanukkah, which needs to burn 30 minutes, needs a thicker 3-ply wick that can draw more wax, producing a steady 3/4-inch flame without getting too big. A 3-pound yahrzeit pillar candle that needs to burn 24 hours needs a flat braided 4-ply wick, laid flat across the top of the candle to distribute the wax evenly across a wider area, preventing it from tunneling (when the wax only burns down the middle, leaving a ring of unused wax around the edges).
We also have to account for the container. Most Jewish candles these days are placed in glass holders, both for safety (preventing wax from dripping) and to make the flame visible. Glass holders change how heat is retained around the wick, which changes how the wax melts. A candle in a 4-ounce glass votive will have more heat trapped around the wick than the same wax in an open-air pillar, so we need a slightly smaller wick for the glass holder. If we use a wick designed for an open pillar in a glass votive, the extra heat will cause the flame to get too big, leading to sooty residue on the glass and the candle burning out faster than intended. We test this ourselves in our warehouse all the time: last year, a synagogue ordered 500 Hanukkah candles in custom glass holders, and we initially used the same wick we use for their open-air pillar Hanukkah candles. When we tested the first batch, the flames were sooty and burned only 22 minutes, not the required 30. We swapped to a 1/0 size wick (we use a standardized sizing system from the National Candle Association, which is aligned with Jewish candle requirements) and tested again, and the flames were steady, soot-free, and burned exactly 32 minutes— enough to cover the required time, with a little extra. That’s the kind of small adjustment that makes all the difference.
Halacha also plays a big role in choosing the right wick, and we work closely with rabbis to make sure every choice is compliant. For example, some traditions require that candles not burn so hot that they melt the wax too quickly, which could be considered wasteful. A wick that produces a flame over an inch wide is generally considered too hot for most Shabbat candles, because it can cause wax to drip excessively, which would make the candle burn faster than the required 18 minutes. We also avoid wicks that leave residue that could be considered a chatzitza (a barrier) between the flame and the wax, which would invalidate the mitzvah. Cotton wicks are ideal here because they burn cleanly, with no leftover residue, unlike synthetic wicks which can leave a buildup that prevents the wax from being drawn up properly. We’ve had rabbis tell us that some imported candles use wicks that produce black soot, which is not only messy but also violates the spirit of the mitzvah, since the candle is meant to be a light, not a source of grime.
Another factor we consider is the environment where the candle will be used. A candle used in a windy porch for Hanukkah needs a different wick than one used in a closed dining room for a Shabbat dinner. Wind can cause the flame to flicker and move, which means the wick needs to be sturdy enough to stay in place and continue drawing wax, even when the flame is buffeted. For Hanukkah candles, which are often placed outside a home or window to share the miracle with others, we use a braided wick that is more flexible and less likely to break when exposed to wind, and we size it a little larger to keep the flame steady even when the wind is light. We test these wicks in our own wind tunnel (yes, we built a small one in the warehouse) to make sure they hold up to light breezes, which is all most home Hanukkah candles will face. For candles used in a shiva house, where the air is often still and the candle needs to burn for 24 hours, we use a flat braided wick that burns slowly and evenly, with no chance of the flame growing too large even if the room gets a little warm.
We also track burn data for every candle we ship, because even small variations in wick production can affect performance. A wick that is cut a millimeter too short will not be exposed enough to the flame to draw wax properly, leading to a weak flame that goes out. A wick that is twisted too tight will be less porous, so capillary action is reduced, leading to a small flame that burns too slowly. We work with our wick suppliers to make sure every batch meets our strict standards, because even a 0.5mm variation can ruin an entire candle. Last year, we had a batch of wicks that were 0.2mm thinner than our specification, and when we tested the custom yahrzeit candles made with them, they burned only 19 hours instead of 24. We caught the problem before shipping by testing a sample of every batch, which is why we still do all our wick and candle testing in-house, even though we’re a supplier. We’ve built our reputation on that attention to detail, and it’s what keeps our customers coming back year after year.
I know a lot of people think choosing a wick is a trivial part of making a Jewish candle, but for us, it’s the most important part. A candle is only as good as its wick, because the wick is the bridge between the wax and the flame that fulfills the mitzvah. If the wick is wrong, the candle is either too short, too sooty, or doesn’t burn at all when you need it. Over the years, I’ve had customers tell us that their Shabbat candles burned all the way through the meal, their Hanukkah candles lit the window every night without flickering, and their yahrzeit candles stayed lit for the full day, even when the power went out (which has happened a few times in older neighborhoods). Those stories are what make all the testing, all the adjustment, all the time spent figuring out the right wick worth it.
If you’re a synagogue administrator ordering candles for the year, a family preparing for an upcoming holiday, or someone who needs custom candles for a special occasion, we can help you figure out exactly the right wick for your needs. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all candles, and we don’t sell generic products. We work with each customer to understand how they’ll use the candle, what halachic requirements they need to meet, and what environment the candle will be in, then we match the perfect wick (and the right wax, size, and container) to get the result you need. Whether you need 50 candles for your shul’s Hanukkah display or 1,000 yahrzeit candles for a community cemetery, we can tailor every detail to your needs.
If you’re ready to talk about your upcoming order, or you have questions about what wick is right for your specific use, we’d be happy to chat. We don’t do automated sales pitches— when you contact us, you’ll talk to someone who knows Jewish candles inside and out, who’s been in the business for decades, and who can answer every question you have about wicks, burn times, and compliance with halacha. We understand that these candles are more than just wax and string— they’re a way to connect to tradition, to honor loved ones, and to bring light to important moments, and we treat that responsibility seriously.
Beeswax Honeycomb Candle References:
- National Candle Association. (2022). Candle Wick Selection Guide: Principles of Capillary Action and Burn Performance.
- Rabbinical Assembly. (2019). Halachic Guidelines for Jewish Ritual Candles: Requirements for Burn Time, Cleanliness, and Compliance.
- Shulman, E. (2021). The Craft of Ritual Candle Making: Balancing Tradition and Material Science in Jewish Ritual Objects. Jewish Cultural Studies Press.
- Jewish Federations of North America. (2020). Community Candle Program Best Practices: Ensuring Burn Consistency and Compliance for Synagogue and Home Use.
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