Guidelines for Chanukah at Brandeis 5770

Hilchot Chanukah
The halachot of Chanukah are discussed in the Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 670-684.
The following is a general overview and distillation.
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Menorah
SAFETY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN
LIGHTING CHANUKAH CANDLES. You must register with the Department of
Residence Life to be allowed to light candles for religious purposes. Please review their
policies and guidelines. One should never Chanukah candles unattended.

Fuel: Oil vs. Candles
Any type of fuel may be used for fulfilling the mitzvah. Some people have the minhag to
use olive oil since the original miracle took place with oil. Halachically, it makes no
difference which fuel one uses. If using oil, extra care should be taken because the glass
cups are prone to break. Water should be placed at the bottom of the cups.
From hereon the term “Chanukah candles” refers to either wax candles or oil.

Electric lights
Unlike Shabbat and Yom Tov, where the essential mitzvah is to have candles lit in one’s
home to avoid sitting in the dark, the essential mitzvah of Chanukah is the action of
lighting. Under normal circumstances one may not fulfill the mitzvah by using electric
lights.

How to light
The essential mitzvah of Chanukah is ner ish u-v’eito – one candle per household. The
Gemara then gives the option of mehadrin (beautifying the mitzvah) by lighting one
candle for each member of the household. The Gemara gives a further option of
mehadrin min ha-mehadrin (the most beautified way). The way that we fulfill this level
is by lighting one candle on the first night and increasing one candle each subsequent
night until there are eight candles on the last night. The universal custom is to follow the
position of mehadrin min ha-mehadrin. If for whatever reason one does not have enough
candles, one fulfills the obligation by lighting only one candle per night.
Ashkenazim have adopted the custom that in addition to following the mehadrin min hamehadrin
position, every member of the household who is of appropriate age (the age at
which children are educated) lights Chanukah candles.
Women are fully obligated in lighting Chanukah candles. A married woman may opt to
have her husband light for her or she may light her own Menorah.
Rabbi Elliot Kaplowitz 2 Hilchot Chanukah 5770
Since college students are living independently of their parents, they should light their
own Chanukah candles while at school. Roommates may not fulfill the mitzvah together
since they are not related.

Setting up the Menorah
The candles should be placed in the Menorah starting at the right. Each night as we add
an additional candle from right to left, we should light the newest candle — moving from
left to right.

Where to light
The Menorah should be placed near a window. The goal in lighting candles is to
publicize the miracle of the Menorah. This was originally achieved by placing the
Menorah outside – next to the street. Nowadays, we light the menorah inside and the key
audience of the mitzvah is members of the household. We still recognize the original
goal of the mitzvah by placing the menorah near a window.
The Shulchan Aruch (671) sets out rules about the maximum height above the ground the
menorah may be placed (no more than 20 amot which is approximately 31 ½ feet).
However, the reality of our housing requires different considerations. If one has access to
the ground floor (i.e., one lives in their own house or in an apartment/dorm where they
can light on the ground floor) that is where they should light. If one lives in an
apartment/dorm, etc. and does not have access to the ground floor they may light in their
dorm room. If there are buildings of similar height it is preferable to light in the window,
but the focus is for one’s family/household. Lighting in the window is not necessary in
that case. In such a scenario one may also choose to light by the door to their room, so
people in the hall can see the Menorah. This last option should be done only if the
Menorah will not cause a safety risk to those passing by.
Students who live in a suite should light in the common room of the suit in order to
publicize the miracle to their suitemates.

Shamash
There is a prohibition against deriving any benefit from the Chanukah lights and against
using them for any practical purpose. To protect against this, we light a Shamash – a
helper candle in addition to the candles corresponding to the night of the holiday. The
shamash is also used to kindle each candle. The shamash should be noticeably set aside
as the shamash and not confused with the other candles being lit.
Brachot/Blessings
The following Brachot are said when lighting the Menorah:
Baruch Atah Hashem Elokeinu Melech ha-Olam Asher kindshanu be-mitzovtav vetzivanu
le-hadlik ner shel Chanukah
Blessed are You, Hashem, Sovereign of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His
commandments and commanded us to light candle/light of Chanukah.

Baruch Atah Hashem Elokeinu Melech ha-Olam She-asah nisim la-avoteinu bayamim
ha-heim ba-z’man ha-zeh
Blessed are You, Hashem, Sovereign of the universe, Who has wrought miracles for
our forefathers, in those days at this season.

(the first time performing the mitzvah)
Baruch Atah Hashem Elokeinu Melech ha-olam she-hechiyanu ve-kiyimanu vehigiyanu
la-zman ha-zeh.
Blessed are You Lord our God, sovereign of the world, Who has kept us alive,
sustained us, and brought us to this season.

One should light the Shamash, then recite all the Brachot and then light the candles. The
paragraph of ha-nerot halalu is recited either while or immediately after lighting the
candles.

When to light
Weekday – The earliest time to light Chanukah candles is from tzeit ha-kochavim (when
the stars come out; which is the same time as when Shabbat ends) – approximately
4:55pm in Waltham. We generally strive to fulfill mitzvot as early as possible to show
our eagerness and zeal to perform God’s commandments (zrizim makdimim le-mitzvot).
On Chanukah this should be balanced with the goal of pirsumei de-nisa – publicizing the
miracle to the members of one’s household and passers-by on the street. It is totally
appropriate for a family to wait for all the members of the house to be home before
lighting. One may light Chanukah candles as long as there are people to see them –
members of the family and/or passers-by on the street. If no one else is awake to see the
candles, one should light without reciting the brachot.

If one is not able to light candles after tzeit ha-kochavim, they may light as early as plag
mincha as long as there is enough wax/oil to burn one half-hour past tzeit.
The candles must burn for at least one half-hour after darkness (tzeit ha-kochavim). They
should be long enough to burn for such an amount of time. If they extinguish on their
own before that time, one need not relight them, though one is certainly allowed to relight
them without saying a bracha. Generally, once a candle or oil is lit for the sake of the
mitzvah of nerot Chanukah attains a level of kedushah (holiness). It may not be used for
any purpose other than nerot Chanukah. Candles or oil that are not fully burned should
therefore be used the subsequent night of Chanukah. If one has candles or oil that have
not fully burned at the end of holiday they should be burned to ensure they won’t be used
for any other purpose. However, when lighting candles one may stipulate that he/she
only intends to consecrate the wax or oil that will actually be burned. Any remaining oil
may then be discarded.

If one does not wish to remain with their candles the entire time that they are burning
they may stipulate at the time of lighting that they will extinguish the candles after they
have burned for a half-hour.

Shabbat
Erev Shabbat – We begin Shabbat before the designated time of lighting Chanukah
candles. Once Shabbat candles have been lit, one may not light the Chanukah candles
since lighting fires is prohibited on Shabbat. One should therefore light Chanukah
candles before lighting Shabbat candles, and ensure that the candles are long enough or
that there is enough oil that they will burn for at least ½ hour after tzeit ha-kochavim
(approximately 90 minutes after Shabbat begins). Special “Shabbat Chanukah” candles
are available, or one may shave down normal Shabbat candles to fit in one’s Menorah.
You may choose to light your Chanukah candles at the communal lighting in
Sherman Function Hall at 3:40pm on Friday December 10. This will allow you to
then go to services without leaving your candles unattended.
Motzei Shabbat – In one’s home, one should first say Havdallah and then light Chanukah
candles. In synagogue we reverse the order in order to maximize the pirsumei nisa
(publicizing the miracle) and delay the formal departure of Shabbat as much as possible.

Travel
If one is traveling and will not have occasion to light Chanukah candles at the appropriate
time, he/she may light them with a bracha from plag ha-mincha onward. Plag ha-mincha
is 1 ¼ Halachic hours prior to tzeit ha-kochavim. Attention must be paid to ensure that
the candles will last until ½ hour past tzeit ha-kochavim. One may attain the exact time
from http://www.ou.org/holidays/zmanim.
If the above suggestion is not feasible, a few more options exist. One can light once they
arrive at their destination as long as it is still dark. A bracha should be said only if there
are other people awake to see the candles.
If one will be travelling the entire night (i.e., on a plane), and it is possible to light
candles on the journey they should do so (i..e., light in the airport). TSA regulations
allow travelers to carry one book of safety matches with them. One would most likely
have to light the menorah in the airport’s smoking lounge. Alternatively, one can rely on
the positions that say an electric light may be used to fulfill the mitzvah of lighting
Chanukah candles. One should bring a mini flashlight (or other type of light) for this
purpose and be extra careful not to gain benefit from the light. Since the majority of
posekim do not allow electric lights, one should not recite brachot if using this option.

Shul
The custom has developed to light Chanukah candles in Shul in order to achieve the goal
of pirsumei de-nisa – publicizing the miracle. For this reason a special allowance is
made to light in Shul between Mincha and Ma’ariv, even though this is before the
appropriate time for lighting in one’s home. In the Ashkenazic tradition the person who
lights in shul should say a bracha. He/she makes another bracha when lighting at home.
There is also a minhag to light Menorah in the morning in shul without a bracha.

Guests
Guests (sleeping at someone else’s house; not just eating over) may light Menorah at
hosts’ home or may pay their host a little bit of money and fulfill their obligation in the
host’s lighting.

Hallel/Al ha-nisim
On Chanukah we add al ha-nissim in the Amidah and Birkat ha-Mazon. If one forgot to
recite al ha-nissim in the amidah one need not repeat the amidah.
If one forgets it in Birkat ha-Mazon, if he/she realizes their mistake before reciting the
next bracha it can be recited at any point. If they have already said the next bracha, they
may recite it during the ha-Rachamans at the end of Birkat ha-Mazon.
There is no mention of Chanukah in al ha-Michiya.
A Full Hallel is recited on all days of Chanukah.
The minhag is to recite Psalm 30 (mizmor shir chanukat ha-bayit…) at the end of
Shacharit each day of Chanukah.
Tachanun is not said.

Foods
There are many traditional foods eaten on Chanukah. These include latkes, jelly donuts
(sufganiyot) and anything else fried in oil. There is also a tradition to eat cheese and
dairy products to commemorate the story of Judith (See Rema in OH 670:2)