{"id":37953,"date":"2015-11-30T12:28:31","date_gmt":"2015-11-30T12:28:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/?p=37953"},"modified":"2020-09-08T15:13:58","modified_gmt":"2020-09-08T15:13:58","slug":"practical-halacha-chanuka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/holidays\/practical-halacha-chanuka\/","title":{"rendered":"Halacha L’Maaseh on Chanuka"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction to Chanuka<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Chanuka<\/em> commemorates the miracle of God’s saving the Jews during the time of the Greek empire. The Greeks wanted to destroy Judaism and Jewish practices and have the Jews follow the Greek culture and religion. A small group of Jews defeated the Greek army, which was the world’s greatest military force at the time. Contrast Chanuka<\/em> with Purim<\/em> (on Purim<\/em>, the Jews’ physical lives were in danger while on Chanuka<\/em>, their religion was being threatened).<\/p>\n

Background<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Main Miracle<\/span> <\/strong><\/h4>\n

The main miracle of Chanuka<\/em> was in defeating the Greeks; the oil’s burning for eight days was secondary.<\/p>\n

Why Eight Days<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Eight days were required for the people who had contact with dead people to become ritually pure in order to make new olive oil.<\/p>\n

Why Asher Kidshanu<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Chazal<\/em> have the authority to make laws, so we say \u201cWho sanctified us with His mitzvot<\/em> and commanded us\u201d (asher kidshanu<\/em> b’mitzvotav<\/em> v’tzivanu)<\/em> for\u00a0Chanuka<\/em> blessings and other purposes that Chazal <\/em>instituted after the Torah <\/em>was given.<\/p>\n

Customs<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Foods<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

It is a non-binding custom to eat potato pancakes (latkes) <\/em>on Chanuka<\/em>; in Israel, it is also a non-binding custom to eat jelly-filled doughnuts (sufganiyot).<\/em><\/p>\n

Candles<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Meaning <\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

The reason for lighting Chanuka<\/em> candles is to publicize the Chanuka<\/em> miracle (pirsumei nisa<\/em>).<\/p>\n

What To Light<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Menora Shape<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

All eight candle holders of a chanuka<\/em>\u00a0menorah<\/i>\u00a0must be on the same level. The\u00a0menorah<\/i>\u00a0itself may be curved horizontally.
\nThe shamash<\/em> must be slightly raised or lowered or to the side of the menorah<\/em> or in the center, as long as it clearly is not part of the other eight candles.<\/p>\n

Note: You may put oil lights directly onto a windowsill or other level surface, but candles must be in or on some type of holder.<\/p>\n

Candles: How Many To Light<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

One per House<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

The basic commandment is for one Chanuka<\/em> candle to be lit per house per night. The extra candles (matching the number of days in Chanuka<\/em>) and having every male light his own menora <\/em>is an enhancement and a custom.<\/p>\n

Note: Having every male in the family light his own Chanuka<\/em> candles is a universally accepted but non-binding custom among Ashkenazi Jews.<\/p>\n

One Shamash per Area<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

You only need one service (shamash) <\/em>candle for any amount of Chanuka<\/em> candles\/oil lamps (menorot) <\/em>in the same area.<\/p>\n

Who Should Light<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Who May Light<\/span> <\/strong><\/h4>\n

Anyone in the household who has reached bar<\/em> or bat mitzva<\/em> age can light Chanuka<\/em> candles, thereby fulfilling the halachic<\/em> requirement that one candle per household per night must be lit.<\/p>\n

Light for Yourself<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Light Chanuka<\/em> candles for yourself, even if there are no other people around. If there are other people asleep in the house who have not fulfilled the mitzva<\/em> of lighting Chanuka<\/em> candles, you should wake them so they can see the candles. Do not wake children below gil chinuch.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Obligation for Women To Light <\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Women, like men, are required to light Chanuka<\/em> candles or have them lit for them.<\/p>\n

Note: It was not traditionally customary for women and girls\u00a0to light when men were present. The custom is that in a house in which the husband lights Chanuka<\/em> candles, the wife does not also light. However, a wife is required to light if her husband is not present, and girls (above 12 years old) are required to light if no men are present.<\/p>\n

Wife May Light for Husband<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

A wife may light Chanuka<\/em> candles for her husband if he is not home.<\/p>\n

Note: If your wife lit for you and you return late at night, you do not need to light for yourself.<\/p>\n

Where To Light<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Light in Own Home, Except…<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Light Chanuka<\/em> candles in your own house, unless you are not in the city in which you live.<\/p>\n

Note: Even though the\u00a0menorah<\/i>\u00a0is for publicizing the miracle, Chazal<\/em> set the observance to take place in each person’s home (and not in groups at one home with several families together).<\/p>\n

Place Anywhere<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

You may place Chanuka<\/em> candles anywhere (but they should be lit wherever you are staying). Outside of Eretz Yisrael<\/em>, it is customary to place them by a window, ideally facing the street.<\/p>\n

Note: Consult a rabbi<\/em> as to whether candles should be lit inside an aquarium or other box as is sometimes done in Israel, since the candles should not be lit in a place where the wind would blow them out if not for the box around them.<\/p>\n

When To Light<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Light After Dark<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Chanuka<\/em> candles should be lit after dark (except on Fridays).<\/p>\n

Note: You may light chanuka<\/em> candles as much as 1 \u00bc hours before dark (not 1 \u00bc hours before sunset!) but the ideal and proper time is after dark.<\/p>\n

Note: Although eating a snack, working, and other activities are permitted before lighting the candles, nothing should be done that might make you forget to light the candles, and it is best to light the candles as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

Latest Time To Light<\/span> <\/strong><\/h4>\n

Latest time to light Chanuka<\/em> candles:<\/strong> 102 minutes before sunrise (so they will burn for 30 minutes before daybreak).<\/p>\n

If You Fell Asleep before Lighting<\/span> <\/strong><\/h4>\n

Wake up sometime during the night and light the Chanuka<\/em> candles if you fell asleep before dark.<\/p>\n

How Long Candles Must Burn<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Must Burn 30 Minutes<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Chanuka<\/em> candles must burn for at least 30 minutes after dark.<\/p>\n

Relighting Candle That Burned Out<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

A Chanuka<\/em> candle (or candles) that is expected to burn for at least 30 minutes does not need to be replaced or relit, even if it burns out in less than 30 minutes.<\/p>\n

Relighting Candle that Blew Out<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

You do not need to relight Chanuka<\/em> candles that blew out after having burned for less than 30 minutes after dark, if they had been lit in a place where they would not be expected to have blown out.<\/p>\n

If they were lit in a windy or drafty place, you must relight them in a different place and say the blessings again.<\/p>\n

What You May Do While\u2026<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Do Not Use Light<\/span> <\/strong><\/h4>\n

You may not use light from Chanuka<\/em> candles for any purpose (do not read by them; do not light other candles from them, except from the shamash<\/em>).<\/p>\n

No Work While Candles Burning<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Do not do any \u201cwork\u201d while the Chanuka<\/em> candles are burning.<\/p>\n

Reason: In order to show that we are not using the candles for any other purpose.
\nNote \u201cWork\u201d may include some housework but usually means skilled labor done by professionals that may not be done on chol ha’moed<\/em> and that requires light to do it.<\/p>\n

How To Light<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Light Left to Right; Add Right to Left<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Light Chanuka<\/em> candles from left to right, as you face it, not as it will be seen from outside the window. Add the new candle from right to left. \u00a0For example, on the first night, put the candle on the extreme right of the menora<\/em>.<\/p>\n

To set up and light Chanuka<\/em> candles<\/strong><\/span>:<\/strong><\/h4>\n