The Jewish Vues | CHANUKAH Q & A WITH RABBI MOSHE ELEFANT

06 Dec CHANUKAH Q & A WITH RABBI MOSHE ELEFANT

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When is the optimal time to light

Chanukah candles?

The Talmud (Shabbos 21a) relates that

Chanukah candles should be lit when

the sun disappears from view, and

should remain lit for half an hour. This

672:1). However, it is unclear what the

sun disappearing from view means.

1) According to some Poskim, it is

when nightfall commences, tzeis hakochavim,

i.e., the sky is almost completely

dark and three stars can be discerned

(Magen Avraham ibid. 1; Bach

OC 662; Mordechai). 2) According to

others, it is when the sky is relatively

nightfall (Ran, Rashba, Meiri). 3) According to the Vilna Gaon (Beiur HaGra

OC 672:2), the proper time to light is at sunset. Beiur Halachah (672, s.v. velo

makdimim) notes that this follows Rambam’s opinion (ibid.) as well.

I did not return home until after midnight. In my neighborhood, at

that hour of the night, the streets are deserted. May I still light

Chanukah candles with a bracha?

Mishnah Berurah (672:11) writes that in order to recite a bracha when

lighting candles late at night, at least one other member of the household

must be awake to see the candles. Mishnah Berurah writes that if everyone

is sleeping, it is appropriate to wake one of the family members so that you

will not lose out on the bracha. Aruch HaShulchan (OC 672:7) rules that the

household member may be a woman or even a small child so long as they are

Mishnah Berurah (Shaar Hatziyun 672:17) presents a dissenting opinion that

permits reciting a bracha late at night even if no family member is present, but

concludes “safek berachos l’haker” (in cases of doubt we refrain from reciting

a bracha), but we need not stop one who wishes to follow this practice. R’

Moshe Feinstein, however, held that even if one lights late at night, and one’s

family members are sleeping, a bracha is recited (Igros Moshe O.C. IV 105:7)

I will be traveling to New York from my home in New Jersey for a Chanu –

kah party at my parents’ house and won’t be returning home until late

at night. I have the following options: I can

light at home at 4:00 PM (which is before sun –

set); I can appoint an agent (shliach) to light

in my house for me at the proper time; I can

light at my parents’ house; or I can light upon

returning home late at night when there are

no longer any passersby. What should I do?

The Mechaber rules that if one will not be able to

light the Chanukah candles at the prescribed time,

he may light them any time after Plag HaMincha

(Shulchan Aruch OC 672:1). Plag Ha Mincha in

the winter is approximately an hour before sunset.

However, if one must leave immediately thereafter, it may not be advisable to

leave candles unattended. The possibility of using an agent is questionable,

since Mishnah Berurah (675:9) rules that when an agent lights for him, the

person must stand next to the agent and hear him recite the brachos, obviously,

this is not feasible in this case. The third possibility, lighting at one’s

parents’ home, is not acceptable. One must light where he lives (i.e. the

place where he eats and sleeps on a regular basis). Since he does not live

in his parent’s home but is merely eating a meal there, he may not light

there. One should follow the fourth option

and light upon returning home since

nowadays,the menorah is lit primarily

for one’s family, and not to publicize the

miracle to the public. Therefore, one may

light even if it is late and there will be no

passersby to see the menorah.

My wife works in the city and comes

home late. Should I light the Chanu –

kah candles at the prescribed time, or

should I wait until she comes home?

Although lighting Chanukah candles is

a mitzvah which is exceedingly beloved

(Rambam Hil. Chanukah 4:12), nonetheless,

it does not come at the expense

of family harmony and good will in the

home. If one only has one candle on Friday,

and cannot procure another, it should be used for Shabbos candles and

not for Chanukah candles, because Shabbos candles were instituted to foster

shalom bayis, i.e. peace and harmony in the home. Without light people would

be unable to see, and shalom bayis would be negatively impacted (Shulchan

Aruch OC 678:1 from Gemara Shabbos 23b). In our case as well, lighting candles

without waiting for one’s wife to arrive will potentially have a negative

impact on shalom bayis, and one should therefore wait until his wife comes

home (Emes le Yaakov OC 670 fn. 586; Kovetz MiBeis Levi 10, p.3; Ner

Tzion 6:11).

Indeed, the Chafetz Chaim related that his Rebbi, R’ Nochum of Horodna, was

always exceedingly careful to light Chanukah candles at the proper time

but when his wife was late in coming home, he delayed lighting Chanukah

candles until she arrived. R’ Chaim Kanievsky related a similar story

regarding R’ Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld. Both R’ Nochum and R’ Yosef

Chaim explained their rationale as we explained above: shalom bayis

takes precedence over Chanukah candles (see Tuvcha Yaabiu, Lech Lecha,

pg. 74-75; Ner Chanukah 2 fn. 8).

I work in the city and return home late. My children wait for me to

light the Chanukah candles. Should they light at the prescribed time,

or should they wait for me so that we can light Chanukah candles as a

family? In a previous Halacha Yomis we learned that the optimal time to light

candles is when the sun disappears from view. This is because the miracle

will be publicized (pirsuma nisa) for the people who pass by

and see the candles. The Rama (OC 672:2) writes that this

was true when candles were lit outside the house. Nowadays,

candles are generally lit indoors and the main pirsuma nisa

is for the members of the family, and candles may be lit any

time at night. Nonetheless, the Rama writes that even so, it is

preferable to light early in the evening, so that passersby will

see the candles in the window. As such, one can light the Menorah

when returning home from work late in the evening.

However, there is no reason for the children who are home to

refrain from lighting on time. The children should light at the

optimal time, and the father should light later when he comes

home (Emes L’Yaakov OC 682.1, footnote #586).

ask the one who is lighting in shul to be motzi me (have me in

mind)? Chanukah candles must be lit in the place where he lives

(i.e. the place where he eats and sleeps on a regular basis). Since the person

does not reside in the shul, he cannot be yotzei the mitzvah with the lighting

that is done there. That person must light for himself at home.