When to Light

• Maariv should be davened before lighting candles unless one is lighting before the proper time to daven Maariv. Don’t Daven without a minyan because of this Halacha.

• If you must leave the house before candle lighting time, the Menorah can be lit with a Bracha from the time of Plag Haminchah, which is approximately an hour before Shkiah. However, there must be enough oil for the Menorah to stay lit until a half hour after the regular lighting time, which is approximately an hour and a half after Shkiah.

• The best time to light the Menorah is 10-15 minutes after Shkiah (approx. 4:45 pm), and it should stay lit until 36 minutes after Tzeis Hacochavim (approx. 6:10 pm).

• If you can’t light at the above time, you can light all night with a Bracha.

• Those that are delayed in lighting the Menorah and want to eat a meal, a shomer, who already lit, should be appointed to remind them to light. If there’s no shomer, an alarm should be set. Snacking on food is allowed even without a shomer. Women who are waiting for their husbands to light should preferably not eat a meal either.

• If there’s a choice between lighting before Shkiah or lighting late into the night, lighting later is the better choice as long as someone in the household is awake (R’ Moshe Feinstein zt”l says that you don’t need to have anyone awake).

• You only light the Menorah where you’re going to sleep. Therefore, one cannot light at a Chanukah party, etc.

• If you’re not going to be home at all that night, then a shliach should be appointed to light for you in your home. No brachah is made.

• It’s better for you to light later in the night than to have a shliach light for you at the proper time.

• If the spouse isn’t going to be home until late, it’s best to wait for them, unless they really don’t care to be at the lighting.

• If the Menorah is lit for half an hour (technically 36 minutes) after the proper time, it can be extinguished. However, if you are home, it’s better to stay lit for as long as possible.

Menorah Placement

• Nowadays that we light inside, many say that you should light in a doorway so that you can be surrounded by Mitzvos. Others say that the window is better because there will be more Persumei Nissa there. Chasidim usually do the former, and Litvish the latter.

• If no one on the street is going to see the Menorah, then putting it in the doorway is definitely better.

• According to the basic Halacha, the Menorah should be lit in the part of the house where you eat because that’s where the most Pirsum Nissa is. However, use your judgment to light in the room where there will be the most Pirsum Nissa, whether it’s in the living room, kitchen, etc.

• The requirement to light a Menorah is only if you have a house to sleep in. However, one who is traveling in a car or plane etc. the entire night can light a Menorah there, or turn on a flashlight (not an LED bulb) without a Brachah.

• Although the Menorah is supposed to be lower than 10 tefachim, it’s still better to light in the window even if it’s higher than 10 tefachim because publicizing the miracle is more important.

• In an apartment building, and the window is higher than 20 Amos, if there’s only one or two neighbors that will see the Menorah in the window, then it’s better to light in a doorway. If many people live across from the window, then it’s better to light in the window (assuming that it’s in a room that people in the apartment will see the Menorah too).

• Yeshiva Bachurim should light wherever the Yeshiva allows.

Traveling on Chanukah

• One who’s leaving the house that night to travel and won’t be sleeping home can still light the Menorah at home before leaving.

• Those that are eating and sleeping away from home can light the Menorah where they are and don’t have to light at home. Especially if no one is going to be home.

• Those that slept away from home and the next day are still visiting at candle lighting time, can light there at that location, even though they’ll be returning home that night. However, it’s better to eat a meal where they were staying (very common on Motzai Shabbos).

• If one is away from home, sleeping in one house but eating in another, it’s preferred to light where eating. If necessary, lighting where sleeping is allowed.

• If you’re eating in a restaurant/catering hall, you can light where you’re eating.

• A yeshiva bachur who doesn’t eat or sleep at home but happens to be home at candle lighting time, can light at home.

Candle lighting

• Some say to wash the hands before lighting the Menorah.

• Light from left to right. Stand to the far left of the Menorah and light the candle on the far left so that you don’t need to pass over any candles.

• If the candles go out, they don’t need to be relit, even on Friday, but it’s better to relight them.

• This only applies after all the candles are lit at once, but if one of the candles goes out before all the others are lit, then the candles need to be relit since all the candles weren’t lit at the same time.

• If the candles were never properly put in a place that they could’ve stayed lit (wind), then they’re required to be relit.

• If a candle goes out, don’t relight it from any of the lit candles, since according to the Halacha they don’t have to be relit; it’s taking from a flame of a mitzvah to light something that’s not a mitzvah. You can use the candles from the Menorah to light another person’s Menorah since they’re both mitzvos.

• One should not talk until all candles are lit.

• Haneiros Hallalu should be said after the first candle is lit while lighting the other candles. If that’s not possible, finish saying it afterwards.

• The mitzvah of Pirsumei Nissa is only at the time of lighting, not afterwards; therefore, there’s no reason to add extra oil. However, there are those that say to sit next to the candles for a longer period of time.

• When lighting the candles, the shamash should be left on the wick until most of the wick is burning because that’s considered a respectful way to light a candle.

• There should be a shamash lit next to the Menorah, even if there’s a light on in the room.

• It’s preferable to have a light on in the room in addition to the shamash.

• Each Menorah should preferably have a shamash.

• The shamash that is part of the Menorah should be lit after all the candles.

• Have in mind that the lighting of the Menorah is to praise and thank Hashem for all the miracles.

• Everyone in the household should gather for the Brachos and lighting of the Menorah.

• The prevalent minhag is that women don’t light Menorah unless they live alone.

• There’s no requirement to sit next to the candles, even for the first half hour. However, many have that custom. When the family is late for a Chanukah party or trip and it’s causing shalom bayis issues, etc., then leave immediately without sitting next to the candles (the candles can’t be extinguished).

• The minhag is that women don’t do work for a half hourafter the candles are lit56. The type of melachah to avoid ismelachah that can’t be done on Chol Hamoed. Cooking is allowed.

Shabbos

• On Friday, it’s better (not required) to daven Minchabefore lightning the Menorah.

• One should not miss davening with a minyan because ofthis Halacha.

• Menorah lighting is before Shabbos candles.

• If there’s little time, then after one candle is lit, the Shabbos candles can then be lit, and you don’t have to wait until allthe candles of the Menorah are lit.

• On Motzai Shabbos, either Havdalah or Menorah can be done first.

Lighting in Hotels

• It’s preferable to light in the hotel room, and if people will see it from outside, then preferably put it in the window.

• If that’s not possible (ex. danger etc.), light in the hotel dining room.

• Lighting in a lobby or hallway is really not preferable, but if necessary, then try and eat your meals there.

Al Hanisim

• Al Hanisim is said in Shemona Esrei and Birchas Hamazon but not in Al Hamichyah.

• If it’s forgotten, then they don’t need to be repeated.

Miscellaneous

• Jelled oil is acceptable.

• Even though there’s no requirement to eat a special Seudah, there’s a mitzvah to do so. If songs are sung, then it will be considered a Seudas mitzvah.

• Dreidels aren’t muktza on Shabbos, but playing for prizes is not allowed.

• On the last day of Chanukah, it’s best to stipulate that the oil that burns past a half hour has no kedusha and therefore it can be disposed of in any way.

• Many have the custom to burn all the extra oil from the Menorah and the wicks.

• This only applies to the leftovers from the initial half hour. Anything after that can be disposed of in any way.

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