You will not benefit from lighting during the day. shraga betihara mai mahani. What's the benefit to light in the day? You cannot make it up during the day; there is no benefit in lighting during the day. ve'afilu im yirtzeh lehadlik becheder afel (Even if he wishes to light in a dark room). So the man has a good idea. He says, “You know what? I’ll go into a dark room and light during the day to make up for last night.” Eino mo'il (it does not help), because there is no lighting during the day and there is no make-up for it. Finished. Mihu (however), on the subsequent nights, he lights as usual. Aha, that is the chiddush (novel point). On the following nights, he lights as usual, like everyone else, even though he missed one night. This is not like the view that he has lost all the remaining nights, comparing it to Sefirat Ha'omer (Counting of the Omer).
There was a view that the Beit Yosef brought down, comparing it to Sefirat Ha'omer. It wanted to say that just as if you miss a night in sefirah, you are out, if you miss a night of lighting, you are out. Based on this Beit Yosef, you have heard me many times, when I announce the candle lighting, say, “Last night was four in the candle lighting.” Everybody says, “Oh, what is it, Sefirat Ha'omer?” I am joking, obviously, but I am trying to show that there could be a comparison in halachah to Sefirat Ha'omer. Nobody would think so, because it is not really a comparison. Why? There is no similarity. In sefirah, the main thing is to count consecutively. Since you missed a number, they are no longer complete. Exactly: you skip day 42, so you cannot go from 41 to 43. You have skipped the completeness; it does not work.
But with the Chanukah (Festival of Dedication) lamp, one lamp is sufficient according to the law. Exactly, that is a very good point. In Chanukah (Festival of Dedication), the number of days is not the main thing, because really you can light one lamp and fulfill the obligation. So there was no significance to the first, second, or third night for the candles. The number is not essential, so how would he lose the remaining nights? Okay, something you took for granted, he spent a paragraph on.
Section 9: If he put more oil in the lamp than the required amount—enough for two hours—can he extinguish it after it has burned for half an hour? This happens a lot. A man may be in a hotel, or at home and want to go out, and be nervous about leaving the candles burning, God forbid. After half an hour, he can put them out; there is no problem. It is also permissible afterward to use their light. After half an hour, it is permissible to benefit from the candles, even though he put in enough oil for the whole time. Only the required half hour of oil is considered designated for the mitzvah.
Some say that it is permissible to extinguish them, but after half an hour it is still forbidden to use their light. They say there is no distinction between before and after the required time. Some write that the custom is not to extinguish them either. Certainly, if that is the custom, one should not change it. But our custom is to extinguish them.
One should make the wicks attractive, but not long. Wax candles should be made long, since that is an adornment for the mitzvah. The hapamot, the menorah, the mechanism, should also be attractive and beautiful. That is section Tav-Reish-Ayin-Bet.
Let’s see what Maran (Our master) says here, in section Tav-Reish-Ayin-Bet. “If he forgot or deliberately did not light at sunset, he may light until ad shetichleh regel min hashuk (Until people leave the marketplace),” which is about half an hour, “when people are passing back and forth, and there is pirsumei nisa (Publicizing the miracle).” Maran is not giving you much time here, by the way. What does “at sunset” mean? Maran told me earlier that it means before the end of sunset—but rather, at the end. Look at subsection Aleph: Maran said, “Rather, at the end of sunset.” Then in subsection Bet he says, “If he forgot or deliberately did not light at sunset.” Did he change his opinion in the next law? I do not think he changed his opinion, unless that is what he means. But he says that one may light only until ad shetichleh regel min hashuk, so you have only half an hour to light. That is like the Rambam (Maimonides). If you missed the time, you can light for half an hour. And then? “When people are passing back and forth.” Therefore, one must put enough oil in the lamp for that amount of time. Ah, you must put in enough oil for half an hour too.
It sounds like Maran says that after that time has passed—if I missed the half hour—and I put in extra oil, I can extinguish the lamp after the time has passed. Maran also says that one may use its light after that time. So Maran clearly holds that it is permissible to use the light after the required time.
The Rama (Rabbi Moshe Isserles) writes: “Some say that nowadays, when we light indoors, one need not be careful to light before people leave the marketplace.” Ah, here it is. Today we light inside, so you do not have to worry about the time, because we are lighting for the people inside. What do I care about the marketplace? So I do not care about the time when people leave the marketplace? But the Rama says, “Nevertheless, it is good to be careful even nowadays.” Even the Rama says that the time matters, even nowadays. However, Maran says that this applies only ideally; if the time has passed and he did not light, he may light all night. So Maran gives it to you here: bedi'avad (After the fact), you can light all night. If the entire night passed and he did not light, ein lo tashlumin (You cannot make it up). That means you do not light an extra candle the next night, and you cannot make it up during the day. On the other nights, he should light like everyone else, even though he did not light on the first night. The Rama spells it out clearly: you can light the next night even though you missed the night before. It is not like Sefirat Ha'omer.
There are a lot of stories here. Let’s start from the beginning. What if, on the fifth night, you realize you missed the fourth night, and you light the fourth candle? You are lighting a fourth candle. It is almost like a make-up. “Yes, but you are just lighting it on the wrong night.” “No, I mean, if on the fifth night you are lighting five candles, there are four and five. The fourth candle represents the fourth night.” “Yes, but you are lighting five.” “So you are trying to save the man.”
Now let’s go through these notes. They are very important. Let’s start with number nine. If a man has only a limited amount of oil and does not know whether it will last for the required half hour, he may choose to light with a blessing. Wow. He does not know whether the oil will last the required time, and he can make a blessing on that oil? Why? There is a double doubt: perhaps this oil contains the required amount, and perhaps according to the law no specific amount is required. A double doubt means that according to the law it is permissible to recite the blessing.
Look at the Mishnah Berurah. “Therefore, one must put in” enough oil. It implies that if he lights some time after sunset, he need not put in as much oil, only enough for people to leave the marketplace. Right, it sounds like we learned from the Rambam that since the required time is only until ad shetichleh regel min hashuk, if you are ten minutes late, you put in oil for only twenty minutes. That is all; why put in more?
But all this is according to the law of the Talmud, when there was visibility for passersby. Nowadays, when the visibility is only for the members of the household, one always needs the known required amount. Aha! Look at Maran again. Maran’s wording was, “If he forgot or deliberately did not light,” and he lit late. Look at the third line: “Therefore, he must put in oil for this amount of time.” It sounds like only the amount of time until ad shetichleh regel min hashuk. That is it: twenty minutes more. If you light twenty minutes late, ten minutes’ worth of oil. That is what it sounds like from Maran: you must put in enough to reach that time. Then the Mishnah Berurah comes along and says, “But nowadays, when the visibility is only for the members of the household,” you always need the required amount. Very interesting. Even if you light after ad shetichleh regel min hashuk, you need the amount required for half an hour.
But Maran says no. Why is it for the members of the household? Because it is no longer for the marketplace. So why do you need that time at all? Okay, look at the Bi'ur Halachah. Subsection Heh: “The required amount.” Sorry, subsection Vav, the Mishnah Berurah: “Even in our times, this amount is required.” Even in our times, you need this amount. “But if he puts in a lot of oil, so it will burn longer, there is no mitzvah in that.” There is no mitzvah in that? Wow. Those people who put in extra oil so it will last—there is no mitzvah? Why not? There are people walking in the street. Look at number ten. No, he is saying that there are people walking in the street. Today we live in New York; people walk in the streets all night.
The Brisker Rav used to light the menorah at 10:00 at night, when people were coming out of the Edison Theatre in Yerushalayim. On Chanukah, all the moviegoers and all the Hellenizers coming out of the movie theater saw the Brisker Rav’s menorah. He held that there is pirsumei nisa all night. Look at number ten: “Contrary to what people say in the name of the Griz of Brisk, that nowadays, when there are still passersby until late, one must put in oil for several hours.” Wow. He held that you have to put in oil. It is not just a chumrah (Stringency). Since the Sages established this, he held that “ad shetichleh regel min hashuk” is flexible. And therefore, nowadays people walk in the street until midnight, so you have to light until midnight, whatever time that is. “Not in Monsey.” Not in Monsey, but maybe you do not have to light at all.
Chacham Ben Tzion says the law does not change. “There are those who beautify the mitzvah by putting in more oil,” and it is cited in the name of the great Chacham Ben Tzion Abba Shaul. Oh, we have Ner LeTzion! They are quoting our book, boys. Here is Ner LeTzion. We made it into Gary’s book. They write that some people beautify the mitzvah by putting in enough oil for the lamps to burn for half an hour after the time of the appearance of the stars according to Rabbeinu Tam. Aha! That is a nice chumrah. Hear what he is saying? There is a new item, everyone: some people are careful to put in enough oil for half an hour after Rabbeinu Tam’s time for the appearance of the stars.
We have to appreciate this chumrah. The new chumrah of the day, the chumrah du jour. Maran said you have to light the candles at the appearance of the stars. We never brought up Rabbeinu Tam. We always said the appearance of the stars—early, fifteen minutes after, twenty minutes after. It is a rabbinic obligation; do not make yourself crazy. But now you are telling me there is a chumrah: maybe the appearance of the stars means Rabbeinu Tam’s time. According to Rabbeinu Tam, did you keep the lamps burning for half an hour after the appearance of the stars? You did not. By the time the stars appeared according to Rabbeinu Tam, your menorah was out. To take that view into account, if you light today at 4:45, let’s say on Sunday night, the lamps have to last an hour and a half. What time is sunset? 4:30. So they have to last until 5:42. “No, he is saying half an hour after that.” Half an hour after that? Wow, so it is 5:42, 6:02? No, 5:52 to 6:12. That is a big one, everyone. The ones you buy will certainly last at least two and a half hours. Two and a half hours!
What is the significance of this? Tonight, everyone, wait—he is bringing it together with the early authorities. It looks like it depends on the reason. If the reason is Chacham Ben Tzion’s view about regel min hashuk, then you could keep them burning for ten hours. If the reason is the actual sunset, then—well, Maran said the appearance of the stars, no? Maran said the appearance of the stars; the end of sunset was the appearance of the stars. Look at Ner LeTzion. What page is it on? It will be in the old book. This is the new book; he just sent me the new book. Look in the old blue book. Do you have it? We will see the time; he will probably put it here. Wow, what a story!
So what do you mean? Tonight, everyone, if you are lighting at 3:30, then, so to speak, from 3:30 to 6:30, the lamps have to last three hours. “Oh, it is normal for them to last three hours?” No, that is a long time. I do not know. Yesterday, at 4:00, they lasted until 8:30 or 9:00. “Oh, yeah?” I do not fill them up like crazy. It all depends on how much oil and how many wicks. “No, regular.” Okay, may you be praised; may you be praised, and may it be good for us.
Would you say Peh-Heh? Chapter Heh, subsection Tet-Zayin. Or LeTzion, Chapter Heh, subsection Tet-Zayin. You are right. Okay, let’s see in this one. Maybe he has the new book. Chapter Heh, subsection Tet-Zayin, “The times for lighting the candles at home”? No. That is right! Very good, Joe; you got the point. So, everyone who puts out the lamps after half an hour—again, do not get excited. You do not have to take every stringency you read. Are you going to take every stringency now? There is no shortage of stringencies. But let’s look at the reasoning.
“Advancing the lighting. The time for lighting.” Here we go, everyone. Chapter Tet? Yes, Chapter Tet, subsection Tet-Vav. “One who lights indoors is not required, according to the basic law, to light specifically within half an hour.” That is what the Mishnah Berurah said. You are lighting inside, so you do not care about people outside; light whenever you want. But the Rama says that nevertheless, it is good to be careful to light on time. One should light when the members of the household have gathered. If the lamps are lit at the entrance to the house and are visible to passersby, it is good to be careful to light within the required time, before ad shetichleh regel min hashuk (Until people leave the marketplace). That is the Rama. In any case, one should also light earlier because zerizim makdimim lemitzvot (The zealous hasten to perform commandments).
By the way, what happened to the mitzvah of zerizim makdimim lemitzvot? Also, you cannot learn at that time. “If he forgot or deliberately did not light at its proper time, he may light until people leave the marketplace. If that time passed and he did not light, Maran writes that bedi'avad he may light all night, until dawn.” Until dawn! It implies—my dear, my dear—wow, wow, wow—that he may light with a blessing. Okay, you can light with a blessing after the time has passed.
Some say that this applies only in a place where the law is to light indoors. But in a place where the law is to light outdoors, he may not light indoors and recite a blessing; rather, he should light outdoors without a blessing. He is saying that if you are supposed to light outdoors, you cannot recite a blessing indoors after the required time. In a place where you are supposed to light outdoors, how could you recite a blessing indoors after the time has passed? You missed the time. The whole permission to light indoors is because nowadays we light indoors. But in a place—perhaps in Eretz Yisra'el, somewhere where they light outdoors—you have no right to light after the time.
However, if he lights in a place where the lamps are visible both to his household and to the public domain, perhaps he may recite a blessing. Yes, but not in a place where you should have lit outdoors. Because obviously that is a place where you are not supposed to light outdoors? Let’s go over it again. Chacham Ben Tzion holds that if you are supposed to light outdoors, you are supposed to light outdoors. Period. That is the law. It could be that nowadays we have the Aruch Hashulchan (Set table): it is cold, it is windy, so we have a permission. But let’s say we did not have permission. You are in Panama; it is hot, you have a box, you have everything. Panama will not help either, because they have buildings, but okay. He is saying that if you did not have permission to light indoors and you are lighting after the required time, perhaps you cannot recite a blessing.
But again, nowadays we will say we have permission to light indoors. No one is going to argue about that. “We have the permission.” “No, I am not arguing with you.” Now that we light indoors, you do not necessarily have to light within the time of ad shetichleh regel min hashuk. That is a novel point.
Look here: “One who lights before dawn, even though the required half-hour extends past dawn, may nevertheless recite a blessing.” Wow, that is a great question. You are lighting five minutes before dawn, so you have to put in enough oil for half an hour, but the half hour will extend beyond dawn. Nevertheless, he may recite a blessing. That is the Shevet HaLevi (Tribe of Levi), because the candles are still shining; it is still dark outside.
If the entire night passed and he did not light, there is no make-up for it, and he lights on the remaining nights according to the number for that night. Oh, look at this: if he is distressed, there is a partial remedy. He has a remedy. What is the remedy? Let him eat as many jelly doughnuts as the nights he missed. If he missed four nights, four jelly doughnuts. Everybody would want a remedy like that. He needs Tikun HaKlali. We did Tikun HaKlali; we did the ten chapters. “If he is distressed, there is a partial remedy: he should add enough oil on the following night for two days.” Wow! Add some oil. Add extra oil. Double the oil the next night. Who is that? Number 62, Kaf HaChayim (Palm of life), in the name of Rabbi Chaim Palachi.
Okay, the man comes back from Israel. He missed it; that is possible. One hundred percent. Now let’s look at a couple of very important cases. I think it is here. Let’s continue through the notes. I do not see it there, but that is what he says. In any case, look at number 11: “The established custom is not to extinguish the candles and not to benefit from them.” Oh, oh, oh. The Ben Ish Chai in the book Yedei Chayim (Hands of life). Yedei Chayim? What is Yedei Chayim? Do you have that book? Have you heard of it? Yedei Rashim? Do you have the book Yedei Chayim? I think it is in the three-volume set. Really? Mekabtze'el? Within the book? They had a few other small books. Mekabtze'el is here. There were three of them. “Do you want Mekabtze'el?” Could be. No, no, it could be one of them. There is a third book. No, it is in two books. The first book is the Ben Ish Chai’s laws. The second book is—“Yeah, but you used to have it there. The Rabbi used to have it.” We used to learn it on Shabbat afternoon sometimes. Okay, Yedei Chayim. So what are you going to tell me? Is that the law? I cannot benefit from the candles after half an hour?
Why am I telling you this? Yesterday, one of the rabbis from Hillel Yeshivah called me on a conference call with the fifth grade. “Rabbi, we want to ask you a question.” Rabbi Leo Beda. “Okay, Rabbi Leo, what is the question?” “The boys want to know: after half an hour, can you benefit from the candles?” I told them what Maran says. Maran explicitly says that after half an hour you can benefit from them: “One may also use their light after that time.” So what are you going to tell me now? Why did they ask you? They were just asking. They were asking about Maran. No, the fifth graders did not know; after all, they do not know. So what does he say here about deriving benefit? “Once the time of the mitzvah has passed, which is half an hour, one may extinguish it, and one may also use its light. This is also the ruling of Maran in the Shulchan Aruch (Set table).” Have a good day.
Number 27, 61: the source of this law is Rabbeinu Yitzchak Alfasi. The Rambam and the Maggid Mishneh explain that Chanukah lights are comparable to the boards and decorations of a sukkah. Just as those items may be used for other purposes after Sukkot, so too Chanukah lamps may be used after the mitzvah has been fulfilled. Rabbi Shlomo Luria, however, agreed that one may extinguish the lights after they have burned, but maintained that it is still forbidden to use their light, since an observer may not realize that the person has already fulfilled the mitzvah. That is the concern of mar'it ha'ayin (Appearance to the eye). As for the law, we follow the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch, which is that of Rabbeinu Yitzchak Alfasi.
So he has what to rely on. What do you mean, “what to rely on”? He is a great leader of the generation; I do not mean he had to rely on anyone—he is the Ben Ish Chai. I am just saying that, in practice, Chacham Ovadia followed Maran. I answered them right there in the yeshivah: do not give them stringencies of the sages. They were talking about the yeshivah menorah? No, they were talking about the household menorah after half an hour. What is the law in the synagogue? Is there more of a reason there? Even before half an hour? If they are going—yes, it is okay. “You mean, not to use it?” Even to use it then? The benefit? Put it out. I thought you would know.
Look at the next note, number 12. What do they want from number 12? “It is good to give thanks”—or “it is good to stipulate”? “To stipulate.” “It is good to give thanks” is also good, you are right. Where is number 12? Look at the Mishnah Berurah, subsection Zayin: “One may extinguish it, since he designates only enough oil for half an hour; therefore, it is permissible to extinguish it and benefit from it.” It says “benefit from it” three times. The Mishnah Berurah continues: “Nevertheless, several later authorities agreed that ideally it is good to stipulate that he designates only the required amount of oil, because some authorities hold that if he put it in without stipulating, he designated all of it for the mitzvah.” Wow! Some authorities hold that if you put a lot of oil in, all the oil is designated for the mitzvah. You put it in, and that is it, goodbye. All the oil is designated, so you cannot use it. Therefore, you need a tenai (Condition). I am designating it only for the mitzvah. Put it in under shem yichud. “I hereby put in the oil, and it is designated for the mitzvah for half an hour.” It is good to stipulate. Number 12: “He can stipulate when he puts the oil and wicks into the lamps, that if the lamps go out within the required lighting time, he may benefit from them.” I can cook my doughnuts with it. Wait, what is this saying? Even within a half hour! “He may benefit from them.” Through this tenai, the remaining oil will not become forbidden to benefit from. The leftover oil is permitted.
Especially on the eighth night, that is the most important. Chazon Ovadia. Where is Chazon Ovadia? Do we have the Hebrew Chazon Ovadia, boys? Find Chazon Ovadia. Wow, so make a condition. What are you doing this for? On the eighth night, this will be the most important. Look at the Sha'ar HaTziyun, subsection Yud-Daled. What is this about? Look at subsection Yud in the Mishnah Berurah. What page is Chazon Ovadia? Page Kuf-Samech-Daled. Do you have it? Got it. Is this the law, or is it at the bottom? It is a whole page, at the bottom. Okay, what does he want here?
“The author of the book Torat haMayim (The Torah of water) wrote: If he explicitly stipulated, when he put the oil and wicks into the Chanukah lamps, that if the lamps go out even in the middle of the half hour, he may benefit from them.” Perfect. “Shappir dami (It is proper).” Wow, then that oil becomes mutar oil. What, even within the half hour? If they go out, yes. The man lit the menorah and said, “If it goes out within a half hour, I stipulate that this oil is not designated.” What if it goes out after five minutes? Then I have twenty-five minutes’ worth of oil, and that oil is ordinary. Put it in your salad. Make latkes with it. Exactly. You do not have to burn the remaining oil.
The basic law is the key, since we light indoors. Do you have to put in enough oil for half an hour? Who says you have to put in even half an hour’s worth indoors? Perhaps the half-hour requirement was only said for lighting outdoors, until ad shetichleh regel min hashuk. But today, when you are lighting indoors, as you said, you could light for one minute and be done. Hagahot Maimoniyot (Glosses of Maimonides) also writes this, and there he says the matter depends on these two readings: if he did not light, he may still light; alternatively, the question is the required amount. That is why it is a major doubt whether it has to last half an hour. Right! Therefore, if he explicitly stipulates that he is not designating all the oil for the Chanukah mitzvah, shappir dami. Wow, because first of all, perhaps you do not need that extra half hour at all when lighting indoors, and, second, you made this condition. With the tenai and the combination of bikudsha berich hu (The Holy One, blessed is He), you are okay. Unbelievable! So you heard this, everyone. That is a major novel point.
Now we get to the big questions. Can you learn before the Chanukah lights? Can you pray? All that. Look at the Mishnah Berurah, subsection Yud: “He need not light within the half hour; he should light when the members of the household have gathered.” Okay, when you light inside, you should light when the family is together. “Even learning is forbidden once its time has arrived.” Ah, you cannot learn. All the diligent learners suddenly come out of the woodwork. They do not learn the whole day, and as soon as the time for Chanukah comes, they start opening their books. Not on Tish'ah Be'Av (Ninth of Av). Exactly. “All the more so, eating.” Someone asked me yesterday, “Can we eat before lighting the candles?” All the more so, eating. Wow, you cannot eat. “Even if he began, he must stop.” Yes!
Look at the Sha'ar HaTziyun, subsection Yud-Daled: “In truth, one should be stringent for another half hour beforehand.” Wow, you have to be stringent already half an hour before the time. 4:15. You just twiddle your thumbs. You can sing pizmonim, okay. “However, since people do not recite the evening prayer at its proper time, the half hour beforehand is already a time when eating is forbidden anyway because of the recitation of the Shema.” Wow. “According to the view of the Peri Chadash and the Gra, that one should light after sunset, nevertheless, one need not be stringent for the half hour beforehand, since all this applies at its proper time.” Wow. But regarding learning, it seems one need not be stringent. One can rely on the other authorities who hold that the time for lighting is at the end of sunset.
According to those opinions that say sunset, they will let you learn before sunset, because you can rely on the opinions that the time for lighting is really later. Oh, okay. After sunset, so for learning it is okay. The Gaon of Baghdad said you light at 4:30, at sunset. So at 4:00 you have to stop learning. But he will say that for learning we will let you learn from 4:00, because perhaps the time is really later. So we got you out of that one. “But not after 4:30?” No, just for the 4:15—before 4:00.
Look at our book here, everyone. Number 14: “Regarding Torah study, one need not be stringent during the half hour before the time for lighting.” The Erech HaShulchan explains that this is because Chanukah lights and the Purim scroll are dear to a person because of pirsumei nisa, and we are not concerned that he will forget. Wow, since these mitzvot are very dear, it is not like checking for chametz, which is difficult; a person might forget it. But who is going to forget to light the menorah? Chazon Ovadia writes that the reason is concern about neglecting Torah study, as later authorities wrote regarding checking for chametz. Go slowly. What page is that in Chazon Ovadia? Section Taf-Lamed-Alef? What is the difference? It is a different book; that is in Pesach (Passover). Ah, it is in Pesach. He discusses whether one should wait half an hour before checking for chametz—the same question. So Chacham Ovadia is being lenient. He is telling you that you can learn. Yes, that seems to be the answer. Wow, you can be lenient about learning? By the way, that is what we do. We learn half an hour beforehand.
What about eating? “Regarding eating before lighting the candles, later authorities wrote that only a fixed meal is forbidden, meaning more than an egg’s volume of bread. But a temporary meal, fruit, or drinks are permitted.” I can have pizza. A jelly doughnut. That is right; a jelly doughnut is permitted. In any case, if the head of the household is delayed in coming home—the head of the household is not coming home until 8:00—it is permitted for his wife and household to eat a fixed meal, especially if the children want to eat. They want to go to sleep. The main obligation is on the head of the household. What, they have to starve because he is coming home late? Chazon Ovadia, page Samech-Chet. That is a good book. These are good laws, very important laws.
Here, I am saying that Chacham Ovadia holds that the wife should light. What are you saying? Chacham Ovadia holds that the wife should light if the husband is late. We are going to get to that now. “It is forbidden to eat a fixed meal before lighting the candles, and it is also forbidden to begin work before lighting the candles.” What does “work” mean? You cannot change a lightbulb? “One should be stringent not to eat a fixed meal for the half hour before the time for lighting.” That means more than an egg’s volume of bread. But a temporary meal or fruit—“and even learning Torah is forbidden once its time has arrived.” Not half an hour beforehand. Regarding eating, it is half an hour; regarding Torah study, it is when the time arrives. Sunset? Or no, fifteen minutes after, whatever it is. That means, do not start taking out the books at 4:45 and start learning, everyone.
Here: “If the man is delayed by an hour or more after the time for lighting the Chanukah lamp, it seems that his wife and the members of the household need not be forbidden to eat a fixed meal.” They can eat. What about the wife? It says the wife. No, I mean, if the wife is coming late and you want to wait, is that the whole family? Let’s say the husband is waiting at home. Yes, but the main obligation is on him. That is different; the main obligation is on him. He says here: “The same law applies here: since the obligation is on the head of the household, and he is particular to perform the mitzvah himself, his wife and daughter need not be forbidden to eat before the lighting.” He cites BeTzel HaChochmah, but writes that people have already become accustomed not to eat a fixed meal. They wait. Okay, they wait. Good luck to them. We are not going to tell them it is a mitzvah to eat, but he is lenient regarding learning. That is a very good point.
The last question we have to analyze, everyone, is this: when a man lights at home after the required time, and we said he can recite a blessing, does that mean even if he is alone, or do you need pirsumei nisa somehow? Why would it not be pirsumei nisa for himself? Because if there is only one man, there is no pirsumei nisa. That means that when I light during the time when the Gemara already told me there is pirsumei nisa in the street, no problem. But now I did not light then; I came home from work and lit at 7:00 at night, and I am alone. A man is alone—mafi bnei beito, mafi nobody, so mafi pirsumei nisa. For the street, the street is off, he said. For inside, mafi family. Does he recite a blessing in such a case?
Or if a man gets home from a wedding at 2:00 in the morning and did not light, does he have to wake up all his children? Everyone, I came home; Daddy is home, back from Chicago, and now he has to light the menorah at 2:00 in the morning. Does he have to wake up his whole family? This is a big question. Look at the laws there. Look at number 20, in the Mishnah Berurah. “All night.” Do you see subsection Yud-Alef, “All night”? Until dawn, okay, until dawn. “He lights with a blessing.” “That is specifically when the members of his household are awake.” Wow, they have to be up. “But if they are asleep, one should not recite a blessing on their account; rather, he should light without a blessing. Just as they would not recite a blessing except during the time of publicity of the miracle, so too for us.” Wow, there is no publicity of the miracle. “If he comes home before dawn and finds the members of his household asleep, it is proper to wake them so that he can light with a blessing.” Wake them up! Look at that, everyone. He cannot light alone with a blessing. “Unless it is during the required time?” Unless it is during the required time.
Okay, David—actually, Saul—you read the Ben Ish Chai. Ben Ish Chai, Parashat Vayeishev (The portion of Vayeishev), law Zayin: “The time for lighting is when the stars appear. When the time arrives, he should not eat or learn until he has lit.” Oh, “when the time arrives”? Chacham Ovadia was stringent about eating. “If he began eating or learning, he stops and lights.” Okay, no problem, stop. “If he did not light when the stars appeared, he should light and recite a blessing as long as the members of the household are awake.” Ah, awake. “But if they are asleep, he should light without a blessing.” Yes, this is it.
What if the man is alone? What if there is only one person in his house? He means two people are enough; “two people are awake.” What if a man is the only person in his house and he misses the time? Is he stuck? What are you going to do? Without a blessing. Not for publicity of the miracle? He lights without a blessing. Of course he lights, without a blessing. That is a major law, everyone.
What about the wife? Who was supposed to light? Is the wife counted? “Does her lighting for him count as the two?” No, I understand that. But was she not supposed to light for him? “She did not light!” We are talking about a case where nothing is lit. She did not light, okay?
The Ben Ish Chai also says it is forbidden to use the light, whether for a sacred purpose or an ordinary purpose. Is the Ben Ish Chai stringent? Does he not bring down the practical law? No, the Ben Ish Chai is stringent about not using it. That is Rabbi Eliyahu; he cites the Kav HaYashar (Straight path). “Ein lo sa'ad, mutar.” That is Kav HaYashar. “Serafim omdim lo mima'al (Seraphim stood above him),” even if he is standing, it is permitted. Kav HaYashar quotes the phrase “serafim omdim lo mima'al lo,” a verse. Okay, bedi'avad, we said it is okay.
Now what does Ner LeTzion say about this law? “He should not delay the essential time for lighting, even for the sake of communal prayer.” You know, he does not make—look what it says. Chacham Ben Tzion says: “From this we learn”—meaning, he is telling you not to miss the time for the sake of communal prayer.
One year we went to Florida and stayed right across the street from the Chabad synagogue in Bal Harbour. It is beautiful. Instead of going to Magen David (Shield of David), which is a little farther down the block, I went right across the street. We prayed Minchah, then went back to the apartment to light on time. Arvit. Beautiful. We prayed Minchah; so far, everything was going well. We were ahead of schedule. Then all of a sudden they started with their—not their singing—with the Tanya of the day, the Rambam of the day, and all the other things of the day. By the time they finished all that, it was about half an hour. There was a delay. That is their custom; I have no problem with it. I am not against Chabad. Let them do their thing.
The next day, I made a breakaway minyan in the second room for the Sephardi men who were there. I told them, “I am not on the Tanya. I did not sign up for the daily Tanya program. Let’s get over here; we have to light the menorah on time.” These men have nowhere to go. When they wake up at 8:00 in the morning, they have nothing to do and still miss the time. From 8:00 in the morning they wake up, “What do you do today?” They miss every time. So Chacham Ben Tzion says not to delay, even to pray with a congregation. You know what that means, boys? Even for the sake of communal prayer. So what should I really have done the first night? Left! Yeah, of course. What do you mean, “of course”? Everything is so obvious to you. Miss communal prayer, as David said yesterday? Leave the communal prayer and go light; you can pray individually afterward. That is what he is telling you.
All the more so, Chacham Ben Tzion says, one should not arrange family visits at that time. One hundred percent; it is a big problem. Families, God bless them, want to get together and have Chanukah parties. So where do they have the Chanukah party? Sunday at 4:00, everybody meets at the bowling alley. It is a trauma. At the time for lighting, they are knocking down bowling pins. A man is putting rosin on his hands at the time for lighting. Bowling! That is the wrong time. Do not have the parties at the time for lighting; have them afterward.
Wow, Chacham Ben Tzion gives a major lesson here, everyone. “Uchevar he'idu shebe'inyanei olam hazeh…” When it comes to the worldly part of your house, everything is perfect: the china, the silverware, the cups, all the adornments. Everything physical in the house is beautiful and well-appointed. But when it comes to holiness, it is, “All right, whatever. Let the maid light. Let the maid light at 10:00.” Like the case with the mezuzah man. Exactly! The man spent $2,000 on the doorknob, and he is bargaining with the scribe: “Do you have an $18 one?” The man told me that in Deal. He comes over and says, “Rabbi, feel this doorknob.” It was heavy hardware, solid all the way through, mikshah zahav (Hammered gold). The man says, “Could you get me mezuzot?” He must have spent $50 million on his house. I said, “Of course I can get you mezuzot. There are $100 mezuzot, and there are $50 mezuzot.” He says, “Are there $18 mezuzot?” You just spent $500 on a doorknob, and now you are haggling over the mezuzah? He said, “But I have 100 doors, and if each one has 100…” The doorknobs too! You did not tell the man, “I only want 20 doorknobs.” You put a doorknob on each door too. You did not skimp on the doorknobs for the 100 doors. You ran out of money on the doorknobs? You have no money for the mezuzot? The man comes to the mezuzot and starts counting doors. Understand?
What happened with that man, just so you know—I will tell you one story, and we will continue this Motza'ei Shabbat (After Shabbat), be'ezrat Hashem. They build these houses with very long, high doorposts. According to the Shulchan Aruch, you are supposed to put the mezuzah one-third of the way down, so it is very high. For the Syrian Jewish man whose practice is to kiss the mezuzah, it is out of kissing range. We put up the mezuzot, and he got upset: “Why did you put them up in the sky?” But that is the law.
Dr. Ftiha, may God protect him, called me and said, “Chacham Eliyahu, could you come over and put up the mezuzot for me?” I told him, “Okay, I just need equipment. I need the mezuzot, of course, the nails or tape, and a tape measure, because we measure.” So we measured every door: “Okay, 73 inches, one-third. Beautiful.” We put up the mezuzot and left. It took an hour to do all the mezuzot in the new house. Chazak u'varuch (Strength and blessing).
Then Rabbi Bussu, may God protect him, the Rabbi here, came to Ftiha to give him a blessing for the house. He is a stickler; everything has to be—so he asked, “Did you put up the mezuzot?” Ftiha said, “Yes, we put them up the other night.” He said, “Bring me a tape measure.” He looked at the first one. “Who put this up?” “The Rabbi.” “The Rabbi? Is he a prophet? How did he get it in the right spot?” Ftiha said, “You asked for a tape measure, and he also asked for a tape measure.” “Oh,” he said. Ftiha called me and said, “Wow, when you were using the tape measure, I was getting nervous that we were going to be there all night. Then when the Rabbi came, he tested us to see if we had put it in the…” According to the books, you are supposed to put it exactly in the right spot.
“Rabbi, what about a widow?” He says here, “If he is not at home at that time,” everybody asks this question, “and he will arrive late, he should tell the members of his household to light for him. If they are not there either, he should send a messenger to light at his home.” That is Or LeTzion. “One who lights at home is not required by law to light specifically within half an hour.” Okay, we saw that already.
So, everyone, here is the question: “What if a woman is alone, like a widow? Does she have to light at the right time? Because then it becomes a mitzvah—” Yes, she has to light at the right time. “Isn’t a woman exempt?” “In a place where people light indoors, later authorities wrote that one should not recite a blessing unless the members of his household are awake. If they are asleep, it is proper to wake them,” says the Mishnah Berurah. “In any case, two people being awake is sufficient.” “One plus two, or?” “That means two people besides the person lighting.” “That is three.” Ah, so you need three. “Or LeTzion writes the same.” Wow! “Chacham Ben Tzion’s view is that it is good to have two people besides his wife.” Is there an issue of age? He needs two children and his wife? Wait, then he does not need the wife. He just needs—It does not say how old the children are. “According to Rav B.S., even if they are minors, as long as they have reached the age of education, it helps.” Seven years old, six years old. Okay, that is a major point.
“One who lives alone and lights within the half hour, even when there is no pirsumei nisa from him, nevertheless, Rav B.S.’s view is that he recites a blessing.” Certainly. “Even a woman, the same?” It does not say. It says, “One who lives alone.” So if a man lives alone and lights at the right time, he recites a blessing. “Sheravak, a single guy who lives alone, if he lights at the proper time, recites a blessing over the lighting.” “And if not, he does not?” Correct. Amazing.
Baruch Hashem, we got a lot of laws and a lot of clarity from this. Motza'ei Shabbat, 5773, everyone. “I did not know that about the single man. That means if I miss the time, I would be out; I have to make it 5:15.” Right, that is right. “And what about what we said, ‘kavtah ein zakuk lah (If it goes out, one need not relight it)’?” Yes, sir. “After thirty minutes, when you are allowed to benefit from it, if you insist on relighting—you do not have to relight—if you want to relight, can you take from the other candle…”