halachic note for Hanukkah - blessing, THEN lighting the candles (women, Israel)

[brooklynborndad]

The custom I grew up with, like many American Jews, is to light the shammas, start saying the blessing, and to light AS the blessing is said.

My Baal Tshuva Masorti child has reminded me that, as with any other mitzvah, you say the complete blessing first, and THEN you light.

Discuss.

[Pruzhany]

As a Mizrahi we were taught to say it during the lighting.

[JB from NC]

My first rabbi, an Israeli of Turkish descent, taught me to recite the blessing and then light candles.

And it's almost impossible to get my kids to actually wait until the blessings are done.

[1+1=5]

We light the Shamash, then say the blessing, then light the candles. I'm no expert, though. I think I read that on Aish. com

Do you all use oil? I am thinking of doing that next year.

[theflipflop]

Originally Posted by 1+1=5

We light the Shamash, then say the blessing, then light the candles. I'm no expert, though. I think I read that on Aish. com

Do you all use oil? I am thinking of doing that next year.

In general, one has not fulfilled their obligation if they light with candles. The most likely issue is that candles do not burn long enough. It is WAY more preferableto light with oil. Just remember, when Chanukah is over, if there is any leftover oil, the oil is kaddosh (holy), so the only way to despose of it is to burn it.

1+1: it's not too late to improvise and light with oil tonight and for the remaining nights. Just get some glass cups, put some water and olive oil in it (they will separate and the oil will float to the top) and get some wicks from the local arts/crafts store, and boom, you're off to the races...

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by theflipflop

In general, one has not fulfilled their obligation if they light with candles. The most likely issue is that candles do not burn long enough.

My understanding is that this is only an issue on shabbat, since the lights must still be lit one half hour after sundown, which, since lighting on friday night must occur before shabbat begins, means they must burn longer than one half hour. Standard small candles will not burn that long.

However the fancier long candles that are now widely available will burn somewhat longer, and freezing them will make them burn more slowly.

On nights other than erev shabbat, many have the minhag to light promptly at nightfall - but IIUC that is not halachically required.

I note that Chabad, which always uses oil for their own chanukkiot, regularly hands out boxes of small candles as part of encouragement to people to keep the mitzvah.

(obviously there are many Jews who light chanukkah lights who are not shomer shabbat - however one would usually not want to encourage the observance of a mitzvah in a way that violates shabbat)

[theflipflop]

This linik below has some nice info on the halachos of Chanukah, specifically as it relates to women:

The Custom for Women to Abstain from Melacha » Matzav.com - The Online Voice of Torah Jewry

The Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 670:1) mentions the custom of women abstaining from doing melacha while the lights of the menorah are burning.

The Taz (O.C. 670:2) says that the custom for women to abstain from doing melacha on Chanuka is similar to their custom of abstaining from melacha on Rosh Chodesh. The basis for the custom on Rosh Chodesh is that since the women did not participate in the sin of the Golden Calf and refused to donate their jewelry for it, they were rewarded with the Yom Tov of Rosh Chodesh. Similarly, since the miracle of Chanuka was brought about through the heroic actions of a woman, it is a worthy custom for women to commemorate this by abstaining from melacha, just like on Rosh Chodesh. Accordingly, this custom only applies to women.

[Pruzhany]

Originally Posted by 1+1=5

Do you all use oil? I am thinking of doing that next year.

Nahhh. We use a YouTube video for each night.



Chanuka, Oh Chanukah! - YouTube