Torat Chayim / Jewish Life Skills Light up the night with the Hanukkah Light(s?)

(2) the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the Deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water— (3) God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

(42) You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths, (43) in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt—I, your God ה'. (44) So Moses declared to the Israelites the set times of ה'.

The Sages taught: The basic mitzvah of Hanukkah is each day to have a light kindled by a person, the head of the household, for themself and their household.

And the mehadrin, (i.e. those who are meticulous in the performance of mitzvot) kindle a light for each and every one in the household each night.

And the mehadrin min hamehadrin, (who are even more meticulous), adjust the number of lights daily.

Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel disagree as to the nature of that adjustment. Beit Shammai say: On the first day one kindles eight lights and, from there on, gradually decreases the number of lights until, on the last day of Hanukkah, they kindle one light.

And Beit Hillel say: On the first day one kindles one light, and from there on, gradually increases the number of lights until, on the last day, they kindle eight lights.

The Gemara asks: What is Hanukkah, and why are lights kindled on Hanukkah? The Gemara answers: The Sages taught in Megillat Ta’anit: On the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the days of Hanukkah are eight. One may not eulogize on them and one may not fast on them.

What is the reason? When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary, they defiled all the oils that were in the Sanctuary by touching them. And when the Hasmonean monarchy overcame them and emerged victorious over them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil that was placed with the seal of the High Priest, undisturbed by the Greeks. And there was sufficient oil there to light the candelabrum for only one day. A miracle occurred and they lit the candelabrum from it eight days.

The next year the Sages instituted those days and made them holidays with recitation of hallel and special thanksgiving in prayer and blessings.

How many lights should one light on Chanukah?

The mitzvah is that a single candle should be lit in each and every house, regardless of whether there are many members of the household, or merely one person [lives] there.

A person who performs the mitzvah in a beautiful and conscientious manner should light for every member of the household, whether male or female.

A person who is even more conscientious in their performance of the mitzvah than this and observes the mitzvah in the most desirable manner should light for every member of his household, a candle for each individual, whether male or female, on the first night. On each subsequent night, they should add a candle [for each of the members of the household].

One needs to be very diligent in kindling the Hanukkah lights. Even a poor person living off charity must lend or sell their clothes, and buy oil to kindle with.

How many lights should one kindle? On the first night, one kindles one [light]. From then on one continues 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 he 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)

It is permitted to kindle with candlesticks, since each light is separated greatly from the other. (Terumat Hadeshen Section 105)

One must be careful when preparing lights, even of wax, not to stick them together and kindle them, since that is like a bonfire. (Piskei Mahar"i 65)

One should place the Hanukkah light at the entrance which adjoins the public domain, on the outside.

If the house opens to the public domain, he should place it at its entrance.

If there is a courtyard in front of the house, they should place it at the entrance of the courtyard.

If they live in the upper floor, having no entrance leading to the public domain, they 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 that they place it on their table. They need another light to use for its illumination.

And if there is a bonfire, they needs no other light. But if they are a dignified person, whose way is not to use the illumination of a bonfire, they needs another light.

It is a mitzvah to place [the Hanukkah 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, he should place [the Hanukkah light] on the right.

If one places it in the doorway itself, he 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 [later 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, s/he 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 publicized. Therefore one must place enough oil for that time, and if one put more oil in, s/he may extinguish the candle after that time has passed, and may use the light after that time.

[Re"ma: 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..., and regardless, it is good to be careful even now. And this is the ideal case.]

But it this time has passed and s/he has not lit, go ahead an light all night, and if the entire night has passed and s/he has not lit, there is no making up for it later.

[Re"ma: And on other nights, one should light like all other people, even though s/he did not light at first. (He found this written in the name of the Maha"ril and also shared it as his own opinion.)]

That it is Permitted to Kindle Lights From One Another, 2 Seifim: 1. 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.

RAMA: And we have adopted the custom to be stringent with the Hanukkah 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. And all this is only while they are still alight for the mitzvah, but after the time of the mitzvah has passed, it is permitted to benefit from them, [so] all the more so it is permitted to kindle from them.

Whoever didn't light, and isn't going to be lighting that night, and also their household didn't light on their behalf, when they see a chanukah candle they should make the single blessing of "sh'asah nissim (who made miracles)" and if it's on the first night, they should also say the blessing of "shehechiyanu (for sustaining us)" and if on the second or third night they can light themselves, they do not repeat the blessing of "shehchiyanu (for sustaining us)"

On the first night you start lighting with the right-most candle, and on the second night when you add a single candle next to it you should start and you should bless on the candle 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 candle 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.

(1) Before lighting, we bless:

(2) Bountiful are You, Eternal One our God, Sovereign of the universe (3) who has sanctified us with commandments and commanded us to light the Chanukah candles.

(4) Bountiful are You, Eternal One our God, Sovereign of the universe (5) who made miracles for our ancestors in their days (and?) in this season.

(7) On the first night (only):

(8) Bountiful are You, Eternal One our God, Sovereign 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 You did for our ancestors, 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 to Your name for Your miracles, Your deliverances and Your wonders.