09 Dec CHANUKAH Q & A WITH RABBI MOSHE ELEFANT FROM THE OU

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 ha-kochavim, i.e., the sky is
almost com-pletely dark and three stars can
be dis-cerned (Magen Avraham ibid. 1; Bach
OC 662; Mordechai). 2) According to others,
it is when the sky is relatively dark i.e. about
fifteen minutes before 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 recit-ing 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 sunset); 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, obvi-ously,
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 op-tion 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 Chanukah
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), none-
theless, 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 Me-
norah 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).

Can I fullill my obligation of lighting
Chanukah candles if I 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.