Zeman hadlakah (time of lighting). Open up Maran, rabotai, Tav-resh-ayin-bet. We need to analyze Maran’s words here today: two words, three words, im sof sheki'atah (at the end of its sunset). The Mishnah Berurah: hainu tzet hakochavim. Why tzet hakochavim? She'az ha'am ovrim veshavim vero'im beveito. That’s when the people are walking around, and there is pirsumei nisa (publicizing the miracle). Achen be'erev Shabbat makdimim: Friday we light early.
Vehineh haMechaber (the author) satam keda'at haTur vesi'ato. Maran followed haTur, because they reason that what the Gemara says about the time for lighting ner Chanukah (menorah), “mishetishka hachamah,” means the end of sunset. The end of sunset means tzet. But in fact, many rishonim (early authorities) reason that the Gemara means techilat sheki'ah, the beginning of the second sheki'ah, specifically sheki'ah sheniyah (second sunset). That means there is the beginning of sunset, sheki'ah rishonah (first sunset), and sheki'ah sheniyah (second sunset). When is sheki'ah sheniyah (second sunset)? It is about a reva sha'ah (15 minutes) before this time. We have to see his breakdown of how he understands when tzet is, and then he tells you that some say it is a little earlier, 15 minutes before this time.
See the Biur Halachah. Im sof sheki'atah. haTur and haRosh wrote this as well. But from the Rashba and the Ran it is explicit that it is the beginning of sunset; rather, what is implied there is the beginning of the second sunset. The Meiri wrote the same as the Rashba and Ran, and the Mordechai wrote this as well, in perek bet deShabbat (chapter two of Shabbat): since he wrote “when the sun sets,” it is clear that it is the beginning of sunset, and so is chein ikar (and so is the main ruling).
So it could be the beginning of the second sunset that they are referring to, or the end of sunset. There could be three different possibilities. The end of sunset is tzet, which we call tzet. Velo me'acharim—we do not delay. Its explanation is that one must light immediately after the appearance of the stars. That’s right: Maran said, “We do not delay.” So according to Maran, you have to light—boom—at tzet.
“If so, further study is needed: what should a person do if he regularly prays Maariv at its proper time?” It’s not a question. What does the person who prays Arvit do? He prays Arvit at its proper time; Arvit is at tzet. So what does he do now? Should he pray Arvit, or should he light the Chanukah lights? He has to light the Chanukah lights because Maran said, “We do not delay.” What do you do with Arvit, bud? “A person who regularly prays tefilat Arvit (evening prayer) at its proper time, meaning after the appearance of the stars, how should he act? It is also not worthwhile to postpone the evening prayer because of this.” So pray Arvit later, no? Because mitzvat keri'at Shema (commandment of reciting Shema) is de'oraita (Torah-level). You don’t push a de'oraita away so fast. Also, tadir kodem (the frequent takes precedence), as ha'acharonim (later authorities) wrote.
Therefore, it seems to me that for an ish kazeh (this guy), it is certainly best to light before Maariv. Wow, light before tzet. Maran said tzet. This man, ish echad, mimatayim tzofim, ish kazeh, who normally prays Arvit at tzet—what is he going to do now? He says to light the menorah before tzet, so he can pray Arvit at tzet. That means he’ll pray Minchah (afternoon prayer) at 4:15, finish Minchah at 4:30, go home, and light the menorah at 4:30. It’s not tzet yet. He has 20 minutes. Let him sing Maoz Tzur a few rounds, come back at 5:00, and pray Arvit. But you’re lighting before tzet, and Maran said tzet.
Many rishonim say that one should act this way initially. As we just read, a lot of rishonim say you light before tzet. And even the Tur, who wrote “the end of sunset,” has been explained shortly afterward as holding that one can begin close to half an hour earlier. I’ll show you that even the Tur, who said tzet, agrees that you can light even half an hour before.
Especially if we understand the opinion of haRambam simply: what he wrote, “we light when the sun sets,” means literally at sunset, when it is still visible to us. It is known that he holds that the time for lighting the mitzvah is only about half an hour, or a little more, after that; if that time passes, one does not light. If so, if he lights at the appearance of the stars, he has not fulfilled the mitzvah of lighting at all according to the Rambam. That’s what David was saying yesterday. If you light like Maran, or a little later, you could miss the time according to the Rambam, because the Rambam said you have half an hour from sunset, and that’s it: you missed it.
Those who follow his approach, fine, at the time of sunset. Even those who are lenient and say one can light afterward do so only because of a doubt among some authorities. Therefore, it seems good and proper initially to light before Maariv. Okay? That’s a big question.
Now I’ll go to the next point: Velo makdimin—and we do not begin earlier. So, basically, he is telling you that if you’re a person like that, you could pray Arvit at the usual time and just light a little earlier, and there are enough early authorities to rely on. Even if you lit from sunset, you have the Rambam, you have this rabbi, you have that rabbi. There’s no machloket (dispute) that Arvit lasts all night? So why do we have to put ourselves in safek (doubt) with the menorah? Because you want to put the menorah before Kriat Shema de'oraita? You want to put the menorah before tadir? The frequent obligation!
But according to the opinions that—couldn’t the Biur Halachah have said that Arvit is anyway “a sketch,” it’s a reshut (optional), you have all night, and ein lah keva (it has no fixed time)? They didn’t say that. He said it is Torah-level, the recitation of Shema, and it is the frequent obligation. Why are you pushing off something you do every night for something you do only eight days a year? Because I could be yotzei de'oraita and you—mah zeh de'oraita? I could be yotzei my Arvit. But we don’t push aside a Torah-level obligation so easily! Wait, is it even Torah-level at that point? You’re pushing a Torah-level obligation aside so easily to do a derabbanan? I’m not pushing it aside—I’m—That’s why! You have a choice here between the Torah-level recitation of Shema and the menorah. You’re saying the recitation of Shema is not Torah-level yet. It is Torah-level. At tzet, it is Torah-level.
He is talking about the Ashkenazim; this is not the Sefaradim. God forbid, it could be anybody. We always pray early—he’s talking about a person who has a minyan. Who always prays early? Who can? You can’t pray early; you know you can’t. Anybody can pray early? Who’s talking about praying early? Nobody prays early! Calm down. We’re not talking about that. The halachah—the Biur Halachah wasn’t addressing David Maya personally. I know you think everything revolves around David Maya, with all due respect, but the Biur Halachah wasn’t talking about you specifically. He was talking about Jews in general: Sephardim, Ashkenazim, someone who is accustomed to praying Arvit at tzeit. That’s it, whether Sefaradim or Ashkenazim.
A lot of Sefaradim don’t pray at that time. The Sefaradim in the kollel all pray Arvit every night at 10:00, whatever. They pray at 6:00, whatever; they wait. In kollel, we pray every night at tzet. Anyway, his point is: is it so easy to push a Torah-level obligation later? It’s tzet. There are two mitzvot (commandments) that come at tzet: Chanukah and Arvit. If someone prays Arvit an hour after tzet, is that bedi'avad? I’m not saying it’s bedi'avad. Is that bedi'avad? This is his way: the person prays at tzet every night. So now, all of a sudden, you’re changing your practice of tzet for eight days. To do what? To do something rabbinic and set aside a frequent obligation? He’s saying, why would you do that? Pray Arvit at tzet, just as you normally pray, exactly when the time comes, and light the menorah early, not later.
Look at the next point: Velo makdimin. This is the wording of the Rambam. See the Ran and Rashba, who disagree about this. Rav HaMagid wrote that the Rambam’s source is what appears in Shabbat kaf gimmel amud bet (Shabbat 23b): uvilvad shelo yakdim velo ye'acher—what the Gemara says. He explains that it refers to Chanukah. Aha! He understands that what the Gemara says, “provided he neither begins early nor delays,” refers to Chanukah.
According to most authorities who explain that it refers to nerot Shabbat (Shabbat lights), I understand “do not delay”: it is already Shabbat. “Do not begin early” means you have to light at the right time. But then we have no source for the Rambam’s ruling. If you understand that Gemara as referring to Shabbat, you have no source for the halachah of Chanukah. The Tur also expressed uncertainty about this regarding Shabbat, and the Shulchan Aruch ruled plainly in section resh-samech-gimmel, subsection heh, regarding Shabbat—and also regarding our subject, Chanukah.
Right, Maran used it in both places. Maran used lo yakdim velo ye'acher (do not begin early and do not delay) for Shabbat, and he used it here for Chanukah. No rishonim (early authorities) understood it in both places. Some understood it regarding Shabbat; some understood it regarding Chanukah; Maran used it for both. Perhaps regarding our subject the Tur is following his view, and perhaps the Rambam as well, based on sevara: it is not necessarily a ruling from the Gemara, but just the reasoning that you shouldn’t begin earlier. Why? It isn’t nikar (recognizable) as Chanukah if you begin early, and there is no pirsumei nisa (publicizing the miracle). Deshraga b'tihara mai mahani? When you light a ner in the day, what’s the benefit? Nobody sees it.
But this is difficult if we explain “sunset” literally. You’re right: if you explain “sunset” as actual sunset, I understand “do not begin early,” because beginning early means lighting during the day. But if you understand “sunset” like Maran, as tzet, lighting a little earlier shouldn’t be a problem; it is still dark. We can say that before sunset, while it is still fully day, the light of the lamp is not noticeable and there is no publicizing of the miracle. But since the Shulchan Aruch adopted the Tur’s explanation and ruled like the majority that the end of sunset is the appearance of the stars, if one begins a little early—say, about a quarter of an hour, during twilight—then we have a question about the times.
So he is telling you that tzet, according to Maran, sounds like it might be about 15 or 20 minutes after sunset. He says that if you light 15 minutes before, you are in twilight. It all depends on how you understand it. Maran really holds, regarding Shabbat, that there are two sunsets: the first sunset and the later sunset. He holds that the first sunset is 58 and a half minutes, and then there are 13 or 13 and a half minutes, and then you reach 72. So according to Maran, twilight is from 58 and a half minutes to 72. That means if sunset is at 6:00, from 6:00 to 6:58 is called the beginning of sunset; that is just the sun going down. At 6:58, twilight begins according to Maran, and then, like Rabbeinu Tam, at about 7:12 it is tzet.
We do not follow that as the halachah. We hold that twilight begins right after sunset. But let’s say according to Maran, who holds that there are 58 and a half minutes before twilight begins. Is that always, or only as a stringency regarding Shabbat? No, he holds that way both leniently and stringently. We don’t hold like this, but let’s consider those opinions. If Maran tells you to light the menorah 72 minutes after sunset, and you go 15 minutes earlier, you would be in twilight according to Maran, but it would still be dark. It is pitch black 58 and a half minutes after sunset.
So if you understand Maran as holding that the end of sunset is tzet, why would he say we do not begin early? It is still dark. Even according to Rabbeinu Tam and those who agree with him, or a little more, there is a recognizable indication that it is night. You should know that regarding Shabbat as well, the Shulchan Aruch ruled not to begin early because it would not be apparent that the lighting is in honor of Shabbat. That I understand, because if you light early, it is really still daytime outside. Even so, it is known that he agrees with everyone that one lights before the twilight mentioned above. Correct. By the way, even on Shabbat, you light before twilight. “Do not begin early,” but obviously you have to light before twilight on Shabbat. So why should Shabbat and Chanukah be different?
We must conclude that what they said, “provided he does not begin early,” means specifically when he lights while it is still fully day. Then it is not recognizable as being in honor of Shabbat, and similarly in our case, when it is for Chanukah. Ah, so “do not begin early” doesn’t mean that you can’t light one moment before the time. Very good. We thought “do not begin early” meant exactly that you have to wait until tzet, and you can’t light one minute before. It doesn’t mean that. It means don’t do it two hours early in the afternoon. Don’t do it so early that it won’t be recognizable; a couple of minutes early won’t hurt.
This is also clear from the wording of the Shulchan Aruch there; see there. But not when one lights a quarter of an hour, or even about half an hour, before the appearance of the stars. The Tur, accordingly, explained it as the end of sunset, and therefore quoted “provided he does not begin early.” The Rambam, who wrote “do not begin early,” did not quote “the end of sunset”; he meant it literally, that one should not begin before sunset. That is all clear there; continue. Chanukah lights are lit at sunset, not before; one does not delay or begin early. Their intention is literally before sunset. That is very good according to the Rambam, because the Rambam holds that it is at sunset, so “do not begin early” means not before sunset. We understand that. But Maran, who holds it is the end of sunset—unless you say that “do not begin early” really means not to begin very early.
Let’s skip this parenthesis for a moment. The fourth line in the Biur Halachah says: even if we explain that the Rambam follows Rabbeinu Tam and those who agree with him, meaning the second sunset—let’s say the Rambam holds that sunset is the second sunset, 58 and a half minutes later—then what did he mean by “do not begin early”? We are forced to say that twilight is a little more than 10 minutes earlier, about 25 minutes before the appearance of the stars. But that cannot be included in “provided he does not begin early” either. Why? Because of Shabbat: you are allowed to light during twilight; on Shabbat, we have to light before twilight. So of course you can do it—why not Chanukah?
All the more so according to what we explained earlier in the Biur Halachah: there it seems that several authorities hold that the Rambam requires one to light explicitly during twilight, before the people leave the marketplace. Basically, the Biur Halachah is bothered: what did Maran hold that led him to say you cannot light earlier? Why can’t you light earlier? Now we have to figure out once and for all: what time is this, im sof sheki'atah?
To understand it, we need our books. Bring me the Ner Tziyon. Is it over there? Are you going to say three-quarters of a mil? It could be many things. It could be Rabbeinu Tam; it could be 58 and a half minutes; it could be 72. Hold on, 58 and a half is not sunset. It could be 72. We usually say that tzet is at three-quarters of a mil; Maran brings that. Where does Maran bring it? In Shabbat.
We’re bothered: how can Maran say “do not begin early”? Could I just get clarity? 6:00 is sunset. That is the beginning of sunset according to Rabbeinu Tam. 6:58 is the end of the first sunset—sorry, that’s the second sunset. Then twilight begins, and then you have Rabbeinu Tam. So the end of the second sunset is not the same time as tzet. Tzet is beyond that, something like 13 and a half minutes later. Let’s see how they understood it.
Maran didn’t say “half an hour after that.” He just tells me “at the time of lighting.” Wait, get ready. The Rambam wrote, “We do not delay and do not begin early,” and Maran quoted him in the Shulchan Aruch. Therefore, one must be very careful to light at its proper time. See that? They take him literally: “do not begin early and do not delay.” Even if, because of this, you miss the communal Arvit prayer, it is better. Even more—you’re going to miss Arvit with a prayer quorum! “Mutav sheyitpalel beyichidut misheyafsid zman hadlakah (Better to pray alone than lose the lighting time).” Come on! It’s Chacham Ben Tzion! A person can either pray Arvit with a quorum or be late for the lighting. Twenty amens, you know? “Minyan deRabbanan.” I’m not counting amens. Chacham Ben Tzion knows how to count amens, too. Sure. He is telling you: twenty amens, or you lose Chanukah. Maran says, “We do not begin early and we do not delay.”
The view of Maran, the author of the Shulchan Aruch, is that the time for lighting is at the end of sunset, and the later authorities explained that this means the appearance of the stars. That is the Mishnah Berurah. Zayin. The time for lighting is at the appearance of the stars. Period. The Ben Ish Chai says, “the appearance of the stars.” That’s it. “It seems to me that primarily one must light”—No, that is when people are passing through the marketplace. That is when the people are bustling in the marketplace, as we saw in the Mishnah Berurah.
Here we go: our custom is to light about 20 minutes after the visible sunset, not at the time of Rabbeinu Tam. “We are not lenient to act according to Rabbeinu Tam after the time, because according to the main halachah, one loses the lighting time.” Do you hear what he is saying? If you follow Rabbeinu Tam, you could lose the time according to the other rabbis. So we don’t adopt Rabbeinu Tam as a leniency that might cost us the mitzvah. According to the other opinions, you’ve missed the time because you delayed. I can be stringent on Shabbat according to Rabbeinu Tam; it doesn’t cost me anything. Stay until the morning for Shabbat, all right? It doesn’t hurt you. There’s no leniency involved. You have to finish the benching, and perhaps have melaveh malkah, but there’s no leniency. If, on the other hand, you adopt Rabbeinu Tam as a kula or chumra and wait for the Chanukah lights, according to the other rabbis you may already have missed the time because you waited too long. So Chacham Ben Tzion says that for a rabbinic mitzvah, we are not going to adopt Rabbeinu Tam at the expense of possibly losing the time according to the other opinions.
Where does he say this? In Or Letziyon. An amazing halachah from Chacham Ben Tzion. But what does he say about Motza’ei Shabbat when it comes to nerot Chanukah? You have to get out of Shabbat first. Exactly; you have no choice. If the person follows Rabbeinu Tam, he should wait. If he doesn’t follow Rabbeinu Tam, he should light. So the custom according to Or Letziyon, chelek dalet perek mem-gimel ot alef (volume four, chapter 43, section one)—what, we got rid of it? It’s not here? I think Michael took it with him to Israel. There’s no volume four? Check that section. It’s a whole section on Chacham Ben Tzion.
Then he says, “We also do not delay the lighting until the appearance of the stars.” We do not wait until tzet. Twenty-five minutes after the sunset in that season. In Israel, he is saying that tzet is about 25 minutes. So you do it a little before. Although it is explained nearby that the main view is 25 minutes after sunset—he got it—even though we say that 25 minutes in Israel, let’s say, will be called sheki'ah, tzet—nevertheless, it is enough to light about a quarter of an hour after sunset.
Now we have to see, rabotai, the main issue of twilight. Let’s get this clear once and for all. What is twilight? Or Letziyon explains that regarding Shabbat, Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Yosei, two tanna'im (Mishnaic sages), disagree about twilight. According to Rabbi Yehudah, from the visible sheki'ah until tzet hakochavim is considered bein hashemashot. That is the sheki'ah hanir'eit, our visible sunset, when the ball goes down. From there until tzet is called twilight. But according to Rabbi Yosei, twilight is as brief as an eye blink. Rabbi Yosei says twilight is one second: “one enters as the other leaves.” The Gemara says that when Rabbi Yehudah’s bein hashemashot ends, Rabbi Yosei’s bein hashemashot comes keheref ayin (as brief as an eye blink). So it is hard to calculate Rabbi Yosei. It is just one moment after Rabbi Yehudah. Until then, it is yom gamur (full day) according to Rabbi Yosei.
They also say there that kaima lan (we hold as law) according to both Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Yosei. We go stringently. How? The immersion of the kohanim (priests) for eating terumah (priestly offering): the kohanim have to immerse in the mikveh (ritual bath) when they enter to eat their offering. When do they go to the mikveh? During the day, at he'erev shemesh (sunset), only before Rabbi Yehudah’s twilight. We make them act stringently and go before Rabbi Yehudah’s twilight because Rabbi Yosei says it is later. Understand? But at the end of Shabbat, one does no forbidden labor until the appearance of the stars according to Rabbi Yosei.
Rashi explains that this is because of a doubt. But in the Rambam’s view, there is room to understand that the main halachah is according to Rabbi Yosei, as we hold as law according to Rabbi Yosei, and we are stringent according to Rabbi Yehudah. Okay. The Ben Ish Chai says we take both approaches: when we need to do something during the day, we go before Rabbi Yehudah; when we need to wait until night, we wait until Rabbi Yosei.
Maharlabach raises a difficulty with the Rambam: it seems that he contradicts himself. A stirah (contradiction) in the Rambam! In the laws of Shabbat, compared with the laws of sanctifying the month. What is sanctifying the month? In the laws of Shabbat, he wrote that from sunset until three medium stars are seen is twilight everywhere. Once gimel kochavim beinoniyim (three medium stars) are seen, it is laylah vadai (certainly night). This implies, according to the Rambam, that twilight begins at sunset. Again, the Rambam says that from sunset until three stars is twilight, and once you see the three stars, it is over.
But in hilchot kiddush hachodesh (sanctification of the month), he wrote what is written in the Gemara: kochav echad yom; shenei kochavim bein hashemashot; gimel kochavim laylah (one star is day, two are twilight, and three are night). Yet no star is ever seen immediately at sunset. At sunset, you don’t see one star. And the Rambam says that two stars are already bein hashemashot (twilight). That must be after sunset. So we have a contradiction in the Rambam! In the laws of Shabbat, the Rambam said twilight begins right at sunset; in the laws of sanctifying the month, he said that two stars are twilight. Two stars are clearly after sunset, because at sunset there are no stars.
Al korcheinu (we must conclude) that the first star’s appearance is some time after sunset, and it is still yom gamur (full day) until there are two stars. However, there is no contradiction. What if we say that the main halachah is always according to Rabbi Yosei, and only when Rabbi Yehudah’s twilight ends does Rabbi Yosei’s twilight come? Until then, it is really a full day. That is what the Rambam wrote in the laws of sanctifying the month: two stars are twilight—that is the later time. Beautiful! But regarding Shabbat, he was being stringent. Regarding Shabbat, we are stringent and take Rabbi Yehudah’s view, that twilight begins immediately at sunset. Therefore, in the laws of Shabbat the Rambam wrote that the halachah is according to Rabbi Yehudah, that twilight begins when the sun sets, and therefore one cannot do forbidden labor. You can’t do forbidden labor! If you say it is still day, I can do forbidden labor until later. The Rambam is stringent when he wants to be stringent, and basically follows both shitot (approaches).
Now, in benidon didan (our case), even those who say the lighting time is at sunset: if you light at the actual visible sunset, let’s say, you have not fulfilled your obligation according to Rabbi Yosei, who holds that the actual sunset is later. Rabbi Yosei holds that sunset is really later, because he holds that his twilight is later, after all of Rabbi Yehudah’s twilight. When does Rabbi Yosei’s twilight really begin? After the whole period of Rabbi Yehudah’s twilight—about 15 minutes later. Exactly. Rabbi Yehudah’s period is 15 minutes; after those 15 minutes comes Rabbi Yosei’s.
On the other hand, if you light about a quarter of an hour after sunset, you fulfill your obligation initially according to Rabbi Yosei, because you are lighting at sunset according to Rabbi Yosei. You also fulfill it after the fact according to Rabbi Yehudah. Why? Because it is still within half an hour of the lighting time. According to the Rambam, weren’t you supposed to catch that half-hour? So by lighting right in the middle, at 15 minutes, you catch Rabbi Yosei’s sunset, and according to Rabbi Yehudah you are still within the half-hour. He is trying to account for all the approaches.
There is another reason for this. That is where they get the 15 minutes from. It is based on the calculation of a mil, which is 18 minutes. The Gemara indicates that the time from sheki'ah to tzet is three-quarters of a mil. According to Maran, a mil is 18 minutes. So what is three-quarters of a mil? 13 and a half minutes. It is clear to us that we are not precise about this; we don’t know what we are talking about. Why? Because after 13 and a half minutes, no stars have appeared. For sure in Brooklyn! Even in Israel, but for sure in Brooklyn! Thirteen and a half minutes later, you can make Birkat HaChamah. And the earliest stars appear at 26 or 27 minutes. Metzi'ut! You don’t see stars in Israel, he’s saying, until 27 minutes, and maybe in Brooklyn not until later. Maybe until 40. Exactly.
Al korcheinu nochei'ach chad min tartei. We must conclude one of two things: either the visible sunset is not the actual sunset, or the absence of visible stars is because our eyesight is weak. Maybe we don’t have good eyes. You know what I tell you? It could be. The early authorities disagreed about whether the lighting time is at actual sunset. Whose opinion is that? The Rambam. The Rambam, not Maran. Or at tzet, which is Maran’s view. Several early authorities hold that the lighting time is at actual sunset, and that is the simple meaning of the Rambam. But the later authorities explained the Shulchan Aruch as holding, like the other early authorities, that the lighting time is at the end of sunset.
Now he starts considering the possibilities. If the visible sunset is not the actual sunset, then if we wait about a quarter of an hour after it—at least 13 and a half minutes, or 15 minutes—we will certainly have reached the actual sunset. If you wait 15 minutes after the sunset printed on the calendars, for sure you will reach the real sunset. What is sunset? Sunset. Obviously, we don’t know what it is, because everyone is telling you that 13 and a half minutes after sunset there are stars, and we don’t see any. So he is saying there are two possibilities: either we have the sunset wrong. Let’s consider that possibility. By waiting 13 and a half minutes later to light the menorah, at least you are lighting after the real sunset.
There are two options. Thirteen minutes after that is 27 minutes, and then you see stars. You’re about to see. It’s two options. Listen to what he is telling you: by waiting 13 and a half minutes, you will certainly catch the real sunset. Guaranteed. Thirteen and a half—not in total; 13 and a half after our sunset. It has to be. He is saying both things. What do you want to argue with someone who agrees with you? After another 13 minutes, you’ll already see stars. Right, at 27 minutes you have stars, or 26 minutes. Therefore, lighting 13 and a half minutes after sunset is one way to make sure you have sunset. In any case, you fulfill yedei chovah (your obligation) according to the sunset approach. It is an amazing idea. We don’t even know, according to the Rambam.
On the other possibility, the visible sunset is the actual sunset, but our eyesight is weak and we don’t see the stars. Then, at that time, about a quarter of an hour after sunset, we would say the stars are there, even if you don’t see them. In any case, you fulfill your obligation according to the stars approach. Wow. So 15 minutes after sunset, according to Chacham Ben Tzion, either you are fulfilling the time according to Maran, or the beginning of the second sunset, or the sunset according to the Rambam. “And we don’t see them?” Not seeing is for the approach that depends on the stars. Maran says tzet, so either light 13 and a half minutes after sunset—and if you ask where the stars are, good luck; they’re there, you don’t see them—or light 13 and a half minutes after sunset, which is sunset according to the Rambam. So you’re covering both possibilities.
That is an amazing thing. So we’re lighting 15 and a half minutes after sunset, out of like a bedi'avad, just to cover everything. 4:45. That’s exactly 4:45 today, whatever, around there. Wait, that is 26 to 27 minutes in Israel. When do you see a star over here? A little later. Therefore, here, if you lit 20 or 25 minutes after, you would also be in that range.
Then he says: “However, apparently these matters require explanation. The simple meaning is that those who say the lighting time is at sunset, like the Rambam, certainly mean the visible sunset. There is no room to doubt whether sunset is when the sun’s body is covered, because that is explicit in the halachah: sunset is when the sun disappears from view.” Now I’m coming to suggest a major novel insight, that perhaps sunset is later. It can’t be; it isn’t so. He quotes all these rabbis. So what now? You want to back out? Sunset is sunset.
But we still have the opinions of Rabbi Yosei and Rabbi Yehudah to account for; we have to take them into account. Then he says, “vetzarich iyun (and this requires further study).” He says, “vetzarich iyun (and this requires further study).” Wow. Therefore, there are many rishonim who say that the zman hadlakah is at the beginning of sunset, which is about a quarter of an hour before the appearance of the stars. That is the Rambam, our sunset. Indeed, our teacher, the Gaon Rabbi Ben Tzion Shaul, says that even according to this view, it is preferable to light about a quarter of an hour—20 minutes—after sunset, since perhaps by then the actual time of sunset has arrived.
Yeah, that’s what he is saying. But that is a da'at yachid (minority opinion). Chacham Ben Tzion holds that the reason to wait 20 minutes after sunset is that you can somehow cover both approaches. Even if you follow the Rambam, you are still within the 30 minutes. No, but you might get the Rambam’s time. You might get sunset, because he has a question: you don’t see stars afterward, so maybe sunset is later. If I go later, I get the Rambam’s sunset or Maran’s tzet.
But even if you say that our sunset is the sunset, we are still within the 30 minutes, so you are good according to the Rambam. If you say the Rambam’s sunset was 4:30 and you light at 4:50, that works too. He said that. He said that. He said that. You’re always good, no matter what you hold. But tzet is much later. You’re not following Maran. No, we’re not following Rabbeinu Tam, which he already told you. We are not following Rabbeinu Tam when you might lose the time according to some opinions. So we are following Maran, too, by lighting earlier than Maran’s tzet. No, Maran didn’t tell us—Maran holds that the second sunset is later. Regarding Shabbat, perhaps it is later, but here he didn’t say that. Here he just said “at the end of sunset,” meaning the earlier sunset according to the approaches that hold that way.
In section 261, subsection 2, Maran writes: “Some say one must add from the weekday to the holy day, and this additional time begins at the start of sunset, when the sun is no longer visible above the earth.” This time is three and a quarter mil. So Maran does bring this opinion regarding Shabbat. Which opinion? The opinion that twilight begins at three and a quarter mil, 13 and a half minutes. Therefore, perhaps he means that here too. Perhaps this is Maran. It’s not a—That’s a stringency. We don’t adopt the stringency of Rabbeinu Tam here. I have no problem with that. It isn’t against Maran; that’s what I’m saying. So you’re telling me now that this is where they got this time? Who knows? If you asked me why we light 15 minutes after sunset, I don’t know what I would have told you. I would have said, “I don’t know, it’s tzet. It’s the earliest tzet.” And he is telling you, Chacham Ben Tzion, that it might not really be tzet; it might be sunset, but at least you are following some opinion.
Okay, what does the English Yalkut Yosef say? Let’s see how he worked out this time. The proper time for lighting the Chanukah lamps is at the appearance of the stars, which is about a quarter of an hour after sunset. One does not delay or begin early. That’s it? At the bottom: the Shulchan Aruch says we do not kindle the Chanukah lights before sunset, but rather at the end of sunset. One may not kindle them earlier or delay. The commentators on the Shulchan Aruch explain that the end of sunset means dusk, tzet. The Pri Chadash, however, ruled that one should kindle the lights as soon as the sun sets. This is also the ruling of the Gra, the Rashba, and Rabbeinu Nissim. Despite this, we remain faithful to the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch.
Regarding how long the lights must continue burning, that is another subject. He arrives at the same time, but he isn’t giving us the whole discussion of Chacham Ben Tzion. Chacham Ben Tzion developed a whole Torah discussion here: maybe yes, maybe no. Maybe Chacham Ovadia. This rabbi, Bitton—what does he say? Tzet, let’s say, the earliest tzet. That’s it. I’m not thinking about anything else or making any calculations.
Let’s see what Chacham Ovadia says. He’ll say the same thing. Do you have a doubt? No doubt, of course. The time for lighting the Chanukah lamps is at tzet. By the way, tzet. Nobody is telling you sunset. One must put in enough oil for about half an hour. If someone didn’t light initially, he can light all night. What time, Rabbi? What is tzet? He doesn’t tell you. Imagine that. You have a whole book here on the laws of Chanukah, and I could read the whole book and not know when to light the menorah. I just see the words “appearance of the stars.” I really feel like somebody wants the appearance of the stars. I’m reading this book now, not other books.
At the bottom, he writes: “Maran, author of the Shulchan Aruch, wrote that we do not light the Chanukah lamps before sunset, but rather at the end of sunset; we do not delay or begin early. The later authorities wrote that the end of sunset means the appearance of the stars.” And he quotes where you see that. Regarding the Chanukah lamp, its mitzvah begins when the sun sets; if it is at the beginning of sunset, it is still fully day. Therefore, it must mean the end of sunset. Beautiful. So “when the sun sets” is later. Fine, it’s the later time. I have no problem with that. What is the later time?
Although the Pri Chadash wrote that the explanation of “when the sun sets” is the beginning of sunset, that is like those other rabbis, but it isn’t the ruling here. “However, I saw one young scholar”—now he’s going to mention Rabbi Yitzchak Bar-Dah in the responsa Yitzchak Yeranen. He went at length against Maran. Wow, he went against Maran, this guy. He wrote that our custom of lighting at tzet is not properly observed; one must say that it is at the beginning of sunset. He also brought the words—but he didn’t understand his words at all. haRav Ne'eman—Rav Mazuz went after this guy. And despite all this, he dared—he'iz, arrogantly—to say that what they said, that the Chanukah lamp is lit when the sun sets, means the beginning of sunset.
Wow, he’s going against the Mishnah Berurah and everybody. The haGrashash—Rav Mashash hit him on the head, too, for not paying attention to his words, for arrogantly deciding between the great authorities of the world and daring to disagree with the rulings of Maran. Who is this guy? At the end of his words, he concludes: “kam dina (the ruling stands): the clear truth of the halachah is that one does not light the Chanukah lamp except at the end of sunset, meaning the appearance of the stars.” That is like Maran. And that other guy—good luck to him. Look what he says in the parentheses: “I know that the aforementioned”—this fellow, Barda—“persists in his rebellion and continues to rule in other matters against Maran. It’s not the only case there. May all those who fear Hashem distance themselves from his rulings.” “Sharei lei marei, God should forgive him. Hashem hatov yechaper.” Wow. We’re selling the book outside, rabotai, whoever is interested. We really have to see what this fellow wanted in Yitzchak Yeranen. But he doesn’t tell you what it is—he did tell you what it is: 15 minutes, meaning the earliest time. But 15 minutes would probably be for Eretz Yisrael; maybe it takes a little longer here. Maybe 20 minutes here. Twenty minutes after sunset—exactly. Fifteen to 20 minutes after sunset is already the time to light. That’s the best time.
Then he says: “Until when can one light? One should be careful initially to light the Chanukah lamps immediately at the beginning of the time; one should not delay. At the latest, one can light the Chanukah lamps until 50 minutes after sunset, at which time one can light them in any case.” Why is your window 50 minutes? He said, “I told you: sunset.” Regarding this matter, it is about a quarter of an hour and 20 minutes after sunset. Someone who delays even a few minutes loses out on this time, because the Rambam tells you to start the clock of half an hour; once you start lighting later, you won’t get the full time according to him. And the wording of Maran says that if someone forgot or deliberately failed to light at that time, he may light until the people leave the marketplace, which is about half an hour. That’s his simple calculation: from 20 to 50 minutes. So you have until 50 minutes. Yes. It was explained that it is proper to be careful not to delay more than half an hour after sunset, more than 50 minutes, and one should pay attention to this. See, your window is from 20 to 50 minutes after sunset. That’s right: 4:50—you said until when? Until 5:20. That’s the half hour. That’s it, rabotai. Then we have to see what happens after that. Could you even light? What now?
So at least we solved today’s dilemma, rabotai. Review: Maran’s approach is clear. Believe this rabbi—Chacham Ovadia’s view is best. Maran’s opinion is that it is at the end of sunset, which is tzet, against the Rambam. And according to the rabbis we saw, that will be 15 to 20 minutes, either because that is the earliest tzet, or, according to Chacham Ben Tzion, because of this complicated calculation: by doing it that way, you cover everything.
And I already told you—the here—here he quotes—here’s the Chacham Ben Tzion he was quoting. I told you that the mekubalim in Bet El lit at sunset. Not because of the Rambam, I don’t think. I think they had some proof from the ha-Arizal that he held you have to light at actual sunset, even though it isn’t recognizable as nighttime. They held—I mean, Friday, you see, you light earlier anyway. I think that kollel fellow was from Bet El, right? Okay, but he’s trying to put the Kabbalah into Maran. I mean, we're trying to thing. We’ll stop here. Baruch Hashem le'olam amen ve'amen. Very nice. So, rabotai, tomorrow we have to see what if you missed the zman…