How to Light the Chanukah Candles

The Sages taught: The basic obligation of Chanukah is each day to have a light kindled by a person for their household. And for the zealous a light for each and every person in the household. And for the extra zealous - Beit Shammai say: On the first day one kindles eight lights and, from there on, gradually decreases. And Beit Hillel say: On the first day one kindles one light, and from there on, gradually increases. Ulla said: There were two sages in the West, the land of Israel, who disagreed with regard to this dispute, Rabbi Yosei bar Avin and Rabbi Yosei bar Zevida. One said that the reason for Beit Shammai’s opinion is that the number of lights corresponds to the incoming days, i.e., the future. The reason for Beit Hillel’s opinion is that the number of lights corresponds to the outgoing days. And the other said that the reason for Beit Shammai’s opinion is that the number of lights corresponds to the bulls of the festival of Sukkot: Thirteen were sacrificed on the first day and each succeeding day one fewer was sacrificed (Numbers 29:12–31). The reason for Beit Hillel’s opinion is that one elevates to a higher level in matters of sanctity and one does not downgrade.

The Sages taught: It is obligatory to place the Chanukah lamp at the entrance to one’s house on the outside. If they lived upstairs, they place it at the window adjacent to the public domain. And in a time of danger they place it on the table and that is sufficient.

On the 25th of Kislev (start) the eight days of Chanukah, and they are prohibited for eulogizing and fasting, but are permitted for doing work. Women have made it a custom not to do work while the candles are burning. And there is [an opinion] that we may not be lenient for them.

How many lights should one kindle? On the first night, kindle one [light]. From then on continue to add one each night, until on the last night they are eight. And even if the household members are many, they should not kindle more.

Rem"a: And some say that every one of the household members kindles (Maimonides) and such is the widespread custom. And they should take care to each place their lights in a unique place, so that it will be apparent how many lights they are kindling. (Abraham Kara of Prague)

If one filled a bowl with oil and surrounded it with wicks — if they covered it with a vessel, each wick counts as one light. [If] he did not cover it with a vessel, it does not even count as one light, because it is like a bonfire.

Rem"a: Therefore one should be careful to place the lights in a straight row and not in a circle, since that is like a bonfire. (Hagahot Maimoniot quoting Sefer Mitzvot Katan)...

One should place the Chanukah light at the entrance which adjoins the public domain, on the outside. If the house opens to the public domain, one should place it at its entrance. If there is a courtyard in front of the house, one should place it at the entrance of the courtyard. If one lives in the upper floor, having no entrance leading to the public domain, one should place it at a window that adjoins the public domain. In a time of danger, when one is not allowed to perform mitzvot, it is enough to place it on the table. One needs another light to use for its illumination...

One should place [the Chanukah light] above three handsbreadths [from the ground]. It is obligatory to place it beneath ten handsbreadths. But if one placed it above ten handsbreadths, one has fulfilled the obligation. However, if one placed it above twenty cubits, one has not fulfilled the obligation.

Rem"a: And even if one took it as it is, lit, and placed it below twenty cubits, one has not fulfilled his obligation, because the kindling accomplishes the mitzvah. (Beit Yosef quoting Tosafot)

It is obligatory to place [the Chanukah light] in the handsbreadth closest to the entrance on the left, so as to have the mezuzah on the right and the Hanukkah light on the left. But if there is no mezuzah in the entrance, one should place [the Chanukah light] on the right. If one places it in the doorway itself, one should place it on the leftmost half of the entrance.

Rem"a: However nowadays, when all kindle inside, and there is no distinction for the people of the public domain at all, one should not worry so much if we do not kindle it in the handsbreadth closest to the entrance. In any case, the custom is to kindle it in the handsbreadth closest to the entrance, as in [our ancestors'] days, and one should not deviate; unless the household members are many, [in which case] it is preferable for each one to kindle in a unique place rather than mixing the lights together, with no distinction of the number of lights they are kindling. In any case, they should take care not to kindle in the same place where they kindle lights all year, since then there would be no distinction at all. And even though there is only no distinction except for the members of the household, some distinction at least is necessary....

Chanukah candles are not lit before sunset, but rather with the end of sunset, neither later nor before. And there are those who say that if one is busy, it is permissible to light from Plag Hamincha (the middle of the afternoon) and onward, as long one puts enough oil [so that the lamp will remain lit] until people stop passing through the marketplace.

If one did not light with sunset, either due to forgetfulness or on purpose, one should go ahead and light until people stop passing through the marketplace, which is approximately half an hour, because then the people are passing and coming home and thus the miracle is publicised. Therefore one must place enough oil for that time, and if one put more oil in, one may extinguish the light after that time has passed, and may use the light after that time.

Rem"a: There are those who say that in this time, when people light indoors, there is no need to be careful to light before people stop passing through the marketplace (these are his own words, and the words of the Tur, quoting Tosafot), and regardless, it is good to be careful even now.

And this is the ideal case. But if this time has passed and one has not lit, go ahead and light all night, and if the entire night has passed and one has not lit, there is no making up for it later.

Rem"a: And on other nights, one should light like all other people, even though s/he did not light at first. (Maha"ril and also shared it as his own opinion.)

We kindle one Hanukkah light from [another] Hanukkah light, and specifically kindling one from another without an intermediary, but kindling one from another through a non-sacred light is prohibited. And some permit even this, unless it is in such a way that there is concern that the non-sacred light will be extinguished before kindling the other Hanukkah light.

Rem"a: And we have adopted the custom to be stringent with the Chanukah lights not to kindle even from one light to another, for its main mitzvah is only one candle, and the rest are not as much for the mitzvah. Therefore one should not kindle one from another. (Hagahot Maimoniot and Mordechai)...

The person who lights on the first night makes three blessings: "l'hadlik ner chanukah (to light Chanukah lights)" and "sh'asah nissim (who did miracles)" and "shehechiyanu (that we were sustained)". If they did not remember the blessing pertaining to time (i.e. the "shehechiyanu") on the first night, they can make that blessing on the second night or whenever they remember.

After the first night they make only two blessing, "l'hadlik (to light)" and "sh'asah nissim (who did miracles)".

Rem"a: And they should say all of the blessings before they begin to light (Mahari"l).

On the first night you start lighting with the right-most light, and on the second night when you add a single light next to it you should start and you should bless on the light that was added which is more to the left, in order that you should turn to the right. And so too on the third night when you add an additional light to the existing two candles you begin with what was most recently added and from there you begin the blessing. And afterwards, you turn to the right, and accordingly on every subsequent night you always make the blessing on the added candle, because this added candle teaches us about the miracle, and with each additional day there was more of a miracle.

Before Shabbat begins one should first light for Chanukah and then for Shabbat.

Rem"a: and you bless on them like on a weekday, even though you are lighting them while it's still daylight.

(1) Before lighting, we bless:

(2) Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe

(3) who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the Chanukah candles.

(4) Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe

(5) who made miracles for our ancestors in their days in this season.

(7) On the first night:

(8) Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe

(9) who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.

(1) We kindle these lights on account of the miracles, the deliverances and the wonders which thou didst work for our fathers, by means of thy holy priests. During all the eight days of Chanukah these lights are sacred, neither is it permitted us to make any profane use of them; but we are only to look at them, in order that we may give thanks unto thy name for thy miracles, thy deliverances and thy wonders.

(1) O Fortress, Rock of my salvation, unto thee it is becoming to give praise:

(2) let my house of prayer be restored, and I will there offer thee thanksgivings

(3) when thou shalt have prepared a slaughter of the blaspheming foe,

(4) I will complete with song and psalm the dedication of the altar.

(6) Full sated was my soul with ills, my strength was spent with sorrow;

(7) they embittered my life by hardship during my subjection to the dominion of Egypt,^*The kingdom of the heifer," see Jeremiah 46:20.

(8) but God with his great power brought forth the chosen race,

(9) while the host of Pharaoh and all his seed sank like a stone into the deep.

(11) To his holy oracle he brought me, yet there also I found no peace,

(12) for the oppressor came and led me captive, because I had served strange gods:

(13) I had to quaff the wine of bewilderment; well nigh had I perished,

(14) when Babylon's end drew near; through Zerubbabel I was saved after seventy years.

(16) The Agagite (Haman), the son of Hammedatha, sought to cut down the lofty fir tree (Mordecai)^*See Talmud Babli, Tr. Megillah, 10b.;

(17) but his design became a snare to himself, and his pride was brought to an end.

(18) The head of the Benjamite thou didst exalt, but the enemy's name thou Midst blot out:

(19) the many sons he had gotten thou didst hang upon the gallows.

(21) The Grecians were gathered against me in the days of the Hasmoneans;

(22) they broke down the walls of my towers, and defiled all the oils;

(23) but from one of the last remaining flasks a miracle was wrought for thy beloved^*Likened to a lily in Song of Solomon 2:2.,

(24) and their men of understanding appointed these eight days for song and praises.