HANUKKA SAMEAH

WHEN YOU ARE A GUEST: As we explained yesterday, the Sephardic custom is to light one Hanukkia per household, not per individual. An extension of this principle is the case of the akhsana-i, a guest. If I'm spending some days or Shabbat in a relative's or in a friend's house I should not light my own Hanukkia even if I'm in that house with the rest of my family and even if I was given my own private room in the house. When I'm a guest I don't have to light my own candles. I should be part of the candle lighting of the host. Why? Because to the effects of Hanukka, when I spend a day or a few days at someone's home, eating and sleeping there as a guest, I'm considered part of that household. Therefore we keep following the rule of "one Hanukkia per household". 

WHAT SHOULD WE DO TONIGHT? The parent or the person in charge of the household recites the following three blessings before lighting the candle. (On all subsequent nights, only the first and second blessings are recited).

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱ-לֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּֽנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר חֲנֻכָּה

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱ-לֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱ-לֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָֽנוּ וְקִיְּמָֽנוּ וְהִגִּיעָֽנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה

As we will explain tomorrow, BH, the Sephardic custom is to light the Hanukka candle first and then the shamash or accessory candle. 

After we light the shamash we recite the text "HANEROT HALALU" .

"We kindle these lights for the miracles, the salvation and the wonders that You performed for our ancestors in those days, at this time (of the year), through Your holy priests. And during all eight days of Hanukka these lights are sacred, and we are not permitted to make ordinary use of them, but only look at them in order to express our gratitude to Your great Name for your miracles, Your wonders and Your salvations".

Then we recite: Mizmor Shir Hanukkat haBayit leDavid

HANUKKA SAMEAH

HANUKA TUTORIAL: Oil or candles? Where to light? Who has to light?

OIL or CANDLES?  The candles to be used in Hanuka could be made of wax, paraffin, etc. but ideally one should use olive oil candles, because the miracle of Hanuka happened with olive oil. Moreover, oil candles will usually last for a longer time than regular or small wax candles.  The Mitsva of Hanuka candles cannot be performed with 'electrical candles', even when real candles are not available. An electrical Hanukia, however, can be placed in the house or in the Synagogue in addition to the regular Hanukia, especially during day-time. 

  

WHERE? Ideally the Hanukia should be placed outside the house's main entrance door, on the opposite side of the Mezuza. Nowadays, however, most families place the Hanuka candles inside the house. Since part of this Mitsva is pirsume nisa (to publicize the miracle performed to our ancestors) when lighting the candles inside the house we should place the Hanukia behind a window, in a spot visible from outside.

HOW MANY CANDLES?  Technically, it is enough to light one single candle (and the shamash or accessory candle) each night of Hanuka. The traditional custom anyways is to add one extra candle each night. However, in some cases where one cannot light additional candles, for example, if one is on a trip or in a Hotel room, etc., lighting one candle any night will be enough.

A FAMILY MITSVA: Unlike most Mitsvot (=Jewish religious commandments), Hanuka is not an individual Mitsva like Tefila or Tsedaqa, but a family Mitsva. In some ways it is similar (but not identical) to the Mitsva of lighting Shabbat candles, which is not a requirement for each individual but for the family as a whole.  Following, I will present some illustrations that will help us understand the practical aspect of this particularity. 

1. If one's son or daughter lives overseas, and she is financially dependent on her parents, she does not need to light her own Hanuka candles. To this effect, a son or daughter are considered part of the family while they are financially dependent on their parents (somekh al shulhan abiv). However, if a son, even an unmarried son, lives on his own house and he is financially independent from his parents he should light his own candles with Berakha, etc. 

2. If the husband is in a business trip, he is technically included in the candle lighting done at home by his wife and children. In other words, he does not have to light his own individual Hanukia in his hotel room.  However, if he still wants to light the candles in his room, he could do it, but without saying a Berakha. 

HANUKA TUTORIAL: How many candles and when?

This coming Wednesday November 27th at night we will begin the celebration of Hanuka by lighting the first candle.  

TIME OF LIGHTING THE CANDLES: Hanuka candles are kindled in the evening (except Friday). The general custom is to light the candles at nightfall (tset hakokhabim). According to Rabbi Obadia Yosef z"l (as per halachayomit.com, see this) nightfall in NYC is at 4.40 pm. (11minutes after sunset, at this time of the year).  Many communities, however, follow the opinion of Maimonides (and the Gemara) which indicates lighting the candles right at sunset (4.29 NYT).  In either case, the candles must contain enough oil to burn for 30 minutes after nightfall. 

If one did not light the candles at these times,  the candles can be kindled later, when the family is home.  

HOW MANY CANDLES? Maimonides (MT, Hilkhot Megila vaHanuka 4:1) explains that the Mitsva of Hanuka candle-lighting is technically fulfilled by lighting just one candle per family.  Those who wish to beautify (hidur) this Mitsva, encourage each member of the family to light their own candle. And those who want to excel in the fulfillment of this commandment (Mitsva min hamubhar) add an additional candle each night.  The custom in Sephardic communities is to light one Hanukia for the entire family, not per each member of the family. The Ashkenazi tradition, however, is to light one Hanukia for each member of the family. 

  

Question from a parent: Should I light the candles at nightfall or wait until my son comes from high school at 7.00 pm? 

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed (see here) refers to this question and explains this case is different for Sephardim and Ashkenazim. Following the Ashkenazi custom (one Hanukia for each family member) one Hanukia should be lit at nightfall and then, when the son comes from school at 7.00pm he should light his Hanukia with Berakha. While following the Sephardic custom (one Hanukia per family) the family might wait for the son (especially if the son or the daughter are already Bene Mitsva) and light all together at 7.00 pm. 

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