What is shabbat candle blessing chabad?

The Chabad (Ashkenazic nusach / liturgical tradition) blessing for Shabbat candle lighting is: "Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Shabbat." This is the standard blessing recited after lighting the candles, and it is essentially the same across all major Jewish traditions, including Chabad.

Key Takeaways

The Shabbat candle blessing is universal across Ashkenazic, Sephardic, and Chabad traditions — the text is identical.
The blessing is recited after lighting the candles (unique among blessings over mitzvot, which are normally said before).
Chabad women follow the custom of covering their eyes while reciting the blessing, then uncovering them to "see" the Shabbat lights.
The blessing acknowledges God's commandment to light the Shabbat candles as part of kedushat Shabbat (the sanctity of Shabbat).
It is customary to recite a personal prayer after the blessing, asking for blessings for one's family.

The Blessing: Full Text

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת

[Siddur Edot HaMizrach, Shabbat Candle Lighting 3]

Transliteration

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Shabbat.

Translation

"Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Shabbat light."

Why Is the Blessing Said After Lighting?

Normally, blessings over mitzvot (commandments) are recited before the act. However, with Shabbat candles, a unique issue arises: once a woman accepts Shabbat (which the blessing itself accomplishes), she can no longer strike a match or use fire — that would be a Shabbat violation.

Therefore, the custom is to:

Light the candles first
Wave hands over the flames (drawing in the Shabbat light)
Cover the eyes
Recite the blessing
Uncover the eyes — this is the moment of first "seeing" and benefiting from the Shabbat lights, as if the candles were just lit

[Peninei Halakhah, Shabbat 4:1]

Chabad-Specific Customs

From my training knowledge (supplementing the retrieved sources):

Nusach Ari (the Chabad prayer rite) uses the same wording as above — there is no difference in the blessing text itself.
Chabad women light two candles minimum, representing Zachor ("Remember the Shabbat") and Shamor ("Guard the Shabbat") from the two versions of the Ten Commandments [Exodus 20:8; Deuteronomy 5:12].
After marriage, many Chabad women add an additional candle for each child.
The Rebbe (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson) famously encouraged the Shabbat Candle Lighting Campaign, urging every Jewish woman and girl to light candles.

The Prayer After Lighting

The Siddur Edot HaMizrach preserves a beautiful personal prayer recited after the blessing:

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהַי וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי שֶׁתָּחוּס וּתְרַחֵם עָלַי... וְיִהְיוּ מְאִירִים בַּתוֹרָה בִּזְכוּת נֵרוֹת הַשַּׁבָּת הַלָּלוּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר

"May it be Your will, Lord my God and God of my fathers, that You have mercy on me... and may they shine in Torah by the merit of these Shabbat lights, as it is written: 'For a commandment is a candle and Torah is light.'"

[Siddur Edot HaMizrach, Shabbat Candle Lighting 3, citing Proverbs 6:23]

The Deeper Meaning

The Shabbat candles connect to the Torah's account of Creation, where God blessed and sanctified the seventh day [Genesis 2:1-3]. The light of the candles brings shalom bayit (domestic peace) into the home and is a symbol of the Or haGanuz — the primordial light of Creation hidden for the righteous.

For personal guidance on specific Chabad customs in your community, consult your local Chabad rabbi or posek.