1

ד"בס

Chanukah – Common Questions

Prepared by Rabbi Shaanan Gelman, Kehilat Chovevei Tzion

1. Candles vs Olive Oil, which is preferable?

Mishna in Shabbos, במה מדליקין lists all kinds of oils and

wicks which are not kosher, yet by Chanukah they do not

present a problemi. The reason is that on Shabbat, the

purpose of the candles is to provide illumination, thus the

fear is that if these inferior wicks and oils are used one might

come to fix and move the candles in order to provide for

better illumination. On Chanukah the primary purpose is

not for illumination but for Pirsumei Nisa (publicizing the

miracle) and so one fulfills their obligation even with inferior

wicks and oil.

That being said, the poskim place clear emphasis upon olive

oilii for a number of reasons:

(a) It is drawn properly into the wick and its light is pure and

cleariii

(b) The miracle in the Temple, in the time of the

Chashmonaim took place with olive oiliv

2

Wax or Paraffin candles also produce a clean and pure

flame, but are not as preferred because of the historical

basis of olive oil.

Mixing oil and wax candles is a questionable practicev, but

different members of a family may use different kinds of

lights. In addition, it is perfectly acceptable to switch from

oil to wax candles from one night of Chanukah to another.

2. Placement of the Chanukiyah

During the time of the Sages, the custom was to place the

lights at the entrance of the house on the outside facing the

streetvi, in order to accomplish Pirsumei Nisa. The Mechaber

further notes that one who lives in an apartment with no

entrance opening towards the street should light in a

window overlooking the street.

One must be careful not to place the menorah above 20

amot from the ground (35.5 feet). If one lives in an

apartment in which the window is above 20 amot, it is

preferable to light at the entranceway of his apartment.vii

When there is a concern for danger due to anti-Semitism,

theft or extinguishing of the candles it is permissible to light

3

inside the house. In such a case one still fulfills Pirsumei

Nisa with their own family membersviii.

The Menorah should be placed higher than 3 tefachim (10

5/8th in.) off of the ground.

One should be careful not to line up the candles too close to

one another such that they are not easily distinguished as

separate entities.

The candles should be set up from right to left (when the

person lighting is facing the menorah) but is lit from left to

right, thereby lighting the newest candle first.

3. When is the Best Time to Light?

The Gemara tells us "מצותה משתשקע החמה" , the proper

time for the mitzvah is from sunset. A number of different

opinions exist in the poskim as to when precisely this is.

According to Rav Moshe Feinsteinix, the time to light would

be about 13-18 minutes after sunset. The candles should

burn for a half hour after צאת הכוכבים, or nightfall (when 3

medium size stars appear in the sky).

4

Duration of the Burning of the Candles

Even if lighting later than the optimal time, the candles must

be lit for half an hour, and must be visible during the time

period of עד שתיכל רגל מן השוקx , until the time that people

cease to walk about in the street. The rationale is that the

mitzvah of hadlakot neirot is for Pirsumei Nisa, publicizing

the miracle, which can only be done if people are still awake

and viewing the candles.

4. How Late May One Light?

If you are going to arrive home late at night, but there will

be family members up in the house, you may still light at

that point. Ideally, the children and family members should

wait to light together. If, however they must go to sleep

beforehand, they should light on their own earlier.

If, by the time you arrive home, everyone will be asleep, the

wife should light for the husband and have him in mind.

Additionally, this may be done by anyone in the household

who is above the age of bar/bat mitzvah.

Another alternative would be to light as early as plag

ha’mincha, (which will take place at 3:23 pm this year), you

may then leave the home and will have fulfilled the mitzvah.

5

Please note, that when lighting at plag, the candles must be

able to last until 30 minutes after tzeit ha’kochavim, as is the

case on Friday nights.

5. What if you are traveling for Chanukah and will not be

coming home that evening?

If staying in a hotel, one should light there. The problem is

that many hotels will not permit lighting in the room. The

next best option is to light in the dining area or in the lobby.

The Maharil felt already in his days that one staying in an

inn, away from his family, should light for himself and not

rely upon them. The reason for this is twofold: 1) the focus

of pirsumei nisa nowadays has been moved indoors. 2) It is

now customary that all members of the household light.

Therefore, by not lighting, it might appear as if he is not

participating in the mitzvah altogether, since his wife is at

home lighting anyway.

If one will be on an airplane or in transit for the entire

duration of a day of Chanukah and there is no ability to light

candles, the Mishna Berura tells us that one may have

6

members of his family light on his behalf.xi While most

poskim hold that electric/battery operated lights may not be

used to fulfill the mitzvah, there are those poskim who

permit lighting with an electric light bulb in such a

circumstance, only without a bracha.xii [Since, it is only a

doubt (safeik) as to whether one can truly fulfill their

mitzvah with an electic light bulb and, and there is a

principle “safeik berachot l’hakel”, that in an instance in

which it is doubtful as to whether one should recite a

bracha, they should be lenient and not recite it.]

6. Should Women Light?

Many women, including those that are married have the

custom to light within the family settingxiii. There is,

however, logic to distinguish between single and married

women living in the household. For married women there

are classical sources which stipulate why not to light

individuallyxiv. For women who are unmarried, they light to

fulfill the mitzvah on the highest level of mehadrin min

ha’mehadrin according to the Ashkenzic tradition, which

requires each individual to lightxv.

7. While the Candles are Lit

7

There is a custom for Jewish women to refrain from work

during the first 30 minutes, while the candles are litxvi. The

Mishna Berura cites a number of opinions who apply this

custom to men as well. This applies to melachot which are

forbidden on Yom Tov, and it is therefore permissible to

cookxvii. Some poskim say that the prohibition to work only

applies to forms of work such as sewing, washing, weaving

and ironingxviii.

8. Friday Night/Motzaei Shabbos

One should light after plag hamincha, 3:23 pm, which is one

and a quarter halachic hours before the stars appear.

Care should be taken that there is enough oil to burn for the

required amount of time (until half an hour after nightfall).

It is important to note that many candles sold as “Chanukah

candles” do not burn for the needed duration on erev

Shabbat, and one could come to recite a bracha le’vatala, if

none of the candles last the proper timexix.

Shabbat Candles should be lit after the Chanukah candles.

When it comes to Havdalah, in Synagogue, Chanukah

candles are lit before havdalah is recited. At home, the

8

prevalent halachic approach is to first recite havdalah and

afterwards to light the Chanukah candles.

9. Eating in One House and Sleeping in Another

One must light in the place in which they are sleeping, not

the place in which they are eating. On Shabbos evening,

going out to eat may present the problem leaving

unattended lights. This is indeed a large concern and

although it is not a halachic answer, it is probably advisable

to remain at home so that someone can remain with the

candles at all times.

On any other evening of Chanukah, once half an hour has

passed, it is permissible to blow out the candles. This is

obviously not possible on Shabbat.

A guest who is sleeping at someone else’s home may light

their own candles, or may choose to participate in the host’s

lighting by contributing some monsey towards the wicks and

oilxx.

10. Lighting in School (Chinuch vs zman)

9

Many schools will have a public candle lighting for

educational purposes before the proper zman of hadlakat

neirot. It is questionable as to whether one fulfills the

obligation at such a time, and as a result should not be done

with a brachaxxi.

11. Artistic Chanukiyot

The Gemaraxxii tells us that if one puts several wicks into one

vessel containing oil (around the circumference of a bowl)

he does not fulfill his obligation as it appears as a medura

(bonfire) rather than a flame. The question is, how exactly

do we avoid this problem? Some suggest it is sufficient that

the wicks be separated by a finger’s breadth between the

wicksxxiii. The Ramaxxiv holds that even if the wicks are placed

in different cups, they may not be placed in circular

configuration since it could still look like a medura. The

Magen Avrahamxxv extends the stringency to a zigzag

pattern as well. Thus we have the common practice of

candles to be assembled in a straight line. The Chayei

Adamxxvi qualifies this and mentions that the candles’ bases

must also be on the same level. It is not so clear that the

concern of the Chayei Adam was because of a medura, it is

possible that his concern was because at different heights, it

10

is hard to see that they belong to the same lightingxxvii.

Though not quoted in the Mishna Berura, there are several

Achronim who quote this stringency. As a result, the best

option is a straight chanukiya in which the bases are all on

one level.

i See Shulchan Aruch (673:1) ii Rama (ibid)

iii Aruch Hashulchan (ibid,1)

iv Mishna Berura (ibid, s”k 4)

v See Rav Shimon Eider “Halachos of Chanukah” (pg. 11-12)

vi Shulchan Aruch (671:5)

vii Shaar Hatzion (ibid, s”k 42)

viii Rama (ibid)

ix Cited by Rav Eider, pg. 20

x Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 21b

xi 677:2

xii Yabea Omer, OC, 3:35

xiii Nefesh Harav p. 226, in the name of Rav Soloveitchik

xiv Terumat HaDeshen 101.

xv See article in “Living the Halachic Process” pg. 149-151

xvi Mishna Berura 670:3,4

xvii Shut Kinyan Torah 7:52

xviii Piskei Teshuvot 570, footnote 15

xix Chayei Adam, 154:35

xx Shulchan Aruch, 577:1

xxi This is a complicated matter, dealt in depth in “Living the Halachic Process” (vol. II, pg. 152-154).

xxii Shabbat 23b

xxiii See Tur, OC 671

xxiv OC, 671:4

xxv OC, 671:3

xxvi 154:10

xxvii See, Living the Halachic Process, Vol I, (page 184-186).