31 Dec IS THE SHAMASH OUTDATED?

The Chanukah menorah
has eight lights for
the eight days of the
holiday. There is a ninth
light, the shamash,
which is not an actual
Chanukah light. A box
of Chanukah candles usually contains 44
candles so you have exactly enough to light
two increasing to nine candles on each day,
which includes the shamash (otherwise
you would need only 36 candles). But is
the shamash even necessary given today’s
technology?
I. The Extra Light
The reason for the shamash or extra light (we
will see that there is a distinction between
these two terms even though people often use
them imprecisely) is that we are not allowed
to derive benefit from the Chanukah lights.
Meaning, we cannot read or count money from
their lights. Chanukah lights are intended solely
to publicize the miracle and not for personal
benefit. Therefore, we need another source
of light for our mundane needs. The Gemara
(Shabbos 21b) says that we need another
light for our own purposes. However, if there
already is a bonfire, such as in a fireplace, then
there is so much light from it that we do not
have to kindle an additional light (codified in
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 581:5).

There is a basic debate over the specific
purpose of the extra light. Rashi (Shabbos
21b s.v. ner acheres) says that the additional
serves as a heker, an identifying light that
makes it clear to onlookers that you lit the
Chanukah lights solely for the sake of the
mitzvah and not for personal benefit. If you
have a bonfire, that also makes it clear to
onlookers that you do not need the Chanukah
lights for your personal benefit. In contrast,
Rambam (Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Chanukah
4:8) writes that you have an additional light
in order to use it for illumination. According
to Rashi, the extra light is to emphasize the
purpose of the Chanukah lights. According
to Rambam, it is for your own use.
II. Two Reasons
The obvious practical implication of this
disagreement is if you have no intention
of using the Chanukah lights for your own
benefit. What if you plan on going into
another room? According to Rambam, you
don’t need an extra light. According to Rashi,
you still need it in order to make it clear
that you do not intend to benefit from the
Chanukah lights. Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik
(Batei Yosef, Chanukah 671:5) says that each
view finds justification in the two versions
of the Gemara text. The standard version
says (Shabbos 21b): “Rava said: You need
another light (in addition to the Chanukah

lights) in order to use its light.” This seems to
support Rambam’s view that the extra light is
necessary for use. However, the Vilna Gaon
removes the words “in order to use its light”
from the text (Hagahos Ha-Gra, ad loc.),
which Rashi seems to omit also. This version
of the text supports Rashi’s view that your
actual usage is irrelevant.
Rav Soloveitchik (ibid.) further suggests
that according to Rambam’s view, that the
extra light is for usage, the extra light can
be lit after the actual Chanukah lights. For
example, on the second night of Chanukah,
you first light the two lights on the far right
side of the menorah and then light the extra
light in the middle and/or up above. Since
you would not be benefiting from any light
until after you are done, the extra light can be
lit last. However, according to Rashi’s view,
that the extra light clarifies the purpose of the
Chanukah lights, it should be lit first. This
way, when you light the Chanukah lights,
it is clear to everyone that they are for the
mitzvah and not for personal benefit. If the
extra light is for usage, it can be last. If it is
for clarification, it should be first.
There are two practices regarding how to
include an extra light. One is simply to light
an extra light just like the others, but situated
somewhat apart from the rest. This is the
practice mentioned by Rav Yosef Karo
in Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 671:5,
673:1). Rav Moshe Isserles describes a
different practice. The candle you use
to light the Chanukah lights is called
the shamash. You light this candle first
and then use it to light the Chanukah
candles or wicks. Rav Isserles says that
this shamash is not extinguished but
placed near the Chanukah lights as the
extra light. According to Rav Karo, on
the second night of Chanukah, you use
a candle or long match or lighter as a
shamash to light three candles or wicks,
the third (extra) light is placed somewhat
apart from the first two lights, and then
you extinguish the shamash. According
to Rav Isserles, you use a candle or wick
as a shamash to light two candles or
wicks and then place the shamash down
as the extra light. Rav Soloveitchik (ad
loc.) suggests that Rav Isserles’ practice
fits well with Rashi that the extra light is
for clarification because the shamash is
lit first. Rav Karo’s practice fits well with
Rambam that the extra light is for usage
because the extra light is lit last.
III. Electricity and the Extra Light
This all makes sense for pre-electricity
times when people used candles for light
with which to read or eat or do anything.
In such times, there was real concern that
you might use the Chanukah lights or that
someone might think that you lit them
for personal use. Nowadays, when we

have electric lights, is there any need for an
extra light? Rav Avraham Gombiner (Magen
Avraham 673:4) quotes Rabbeinu Yerucham
who says that if you place Chanukah lights in
an area where you do not normally put lights
then you do not need an extra light. There is
no need for a heker, a clarification, because
it is self-understood that these are Chanukah
lights and not for your own use. However,
Rav Gombiner adds that you should still have
an extra light just in case you need to read or
do something else there and use the lights.
Nowadays, we do not place lights anywhere
that we put our Chanukah menorah.
Additionally, there is no real concern that we
will use the lights because we have overhead
electric lights. Even if we dim the electric
lights when we light the Chanukah lights, we
still use the electric lights from another area
or room for seeing because they are stronger
and steadier than candles. There seems no
need for a shamash or extra light.
Even in pre-electricity times, if you had a
bonfire then you did not need an extra light.
Isn’t an electric light considered a bonfire?
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach believes that
an electric light qualifies as a bonfire for
this purpose since when an electric light is
on, people do not use a candle for reading
or anything like that (Halichos Shlomo,
Mo’adim volume with Chanukah, ch. 16,
par. 13, n. 27). However, Rav Auerbach adds
that in his day, the early days of the State
of Israel, it was common to lose electricity
and then out of necessity to rely on candles.
Therefore, it is good to light a shamash in
case you lose power. Rav Auerbach’s close
student, Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl, says that
you do not need a shamash unless you
frequently lose electric power (Yerushalayim
Be-Mo’adeha, Chanukah, p. 220). Rav Dov
Lior likewise rules that there is no need for an
extra light because the concern is remote that
the electricity will go out and you will use the
Chanukah lights (Responsa Devar Chevron,
Orach Chaim, vol. 2, no. 327). Rav Gavriel
Zinner agrees but adds that the custom is
nevertheless to include an extra light on the
menorah (Nitei Gavriel, Chanukah, ch. 20,
par. 9).