 Torah Thoughts
Chanukah
Where and when should the candles be lit?
Since the major reason that we light the candles is to
publicize the miracle, the candles should be lit in a place where they will
be easily noticed. Lighting them in a window that faces a public thoroughfare
is ideal. If you live in a high-rise building you should light in your window
if there are neighboring buildings as high as your window, otherwise it is
best to light outside your front door where passers-by in your building will
see the lights. If this is not possible, at least the candles should be lit
in a place where the members of your household will see them. In Israel,
the custom is to light outdoors.
As mentioned above, we light the candles in order to
publicize the miracle. Therefore, the Talmud tells us, the candles should be
lit at a time when the maximum number of people is on the street. After
sunset into the early evening is when many people return home from the market
place. This is the ideal time, but if one missed it, one may light the whole
night until first light.
How are the candles lit?
Set up the candles starting on the extreme right side of
your "menorah".
Each night add one candle towards the left (replacing
the used candles first then adding a new one to their left).
We use a "Shamash" ("service
candle") to light the actual Chanukah lights. One of the reasons for
this is that we are not allowed to derive any personal, practical use from
the Chanukah candles since they are there to publicize the miracle. This
would not be apparent if we used them for our personal benefit. The Shamash
is placed near the Chanukah candles but is set apart from them (usually
placed at a different height) so that if we accidentally make use of the
light, it will be as if we were using the light of the Shamash.
Lighting the Candles
Light the Shamash and say the following blessings:
1. Baruch atah ado-noi, elo-hainu, melech ha'olam,
asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu I'hadlik ner shel Chanukah.
(Blessed are You Lord, our God, King of the universe;
Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to light the
Chanukah lamp.)
2. Baruch atah ado-noi, elo-hainu, melech ha'olam,
sheh-assah nissim lavotainu bayomim hahaim b'z'man hazeh.
(Blessed are You Lord, our God, King of the universe.
Who has wrought miracles for our fathers in earlier times and even in our
times.)
If you are lighting for the first time this Chanukah
add the following blessing:
3. Baruch atah ado-noi, elo-hainu, melech ha'olam,
sheh-heh-cheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higi'anu I'z'man hazeh.
(Blessed are You Lord, our God, King of the universe,
that You have allowed us to live and exist and reach this (joyous) moment.)
Start lighting the candles immediately. We start lighting
the candles from left to right, starting with the evening's newly added
candle (as opposed to the order in which we placed them in their holders,
which is right to left.)
While we are lighting the candles we sing the song
"Haneirot hallalu" which describes the miracles that are
commemorated by lighting the candles. We then sing another joyous song which
describes how the Jewish People have survived the nefarious plots of our
enemies and how we have outlived them all.
Rabbi Baruch Price
Technical
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