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Hanukkah FAQ’s
Answered by Rabbi Moshe Pinchasi
Q: Where should I light if I get married on Hanukkah?
A: If the Huppa will take place after star-break, one would fulfill the obligation with the lighting of his parents. One should also light in one’s new home after the wedding, without a Beracha, to satisfy the opinions that the place where one sleeps and lives in the following day is considered his main home.[1]
If the Huppa will take place before the time of lighting, one must light in their new home with a Beracha. This can be done in person, by appointing a Shaliah to light at the appropriate time, or after the wedding.[2]
Q: Must the members of the household be present during the Hadlaka?
A: When lighting in the home, the main Pirsum HaNess (publicizing the miracle) is among the members of the family. Therefore, one should gather his family to witness the lighting[3]. Nevertheless, if no family members are present and one is lighting at the appropriate time, one should light with a Beracha.
If one only got home after his household members are sleeping, the Ben Ish Hai, Ohr L’Tziyon and others[4] hold that he should light without a Beracha, unless he can wake up some household members. However, Hacham Ovadia Yosef, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and others maintain that one can still follow the simple understanding of the Shulhan Aruch that one may still light with a Beracha up until dawn, even if he cannot wake up any household members[5].
Q: Can one light one candle of the Menorah from the other?
A: The Gemara discusses whether using the fire of one candle to light another is disrespectful to the candle or not. L’Halacha, Maran[6] rules that one may light one candle directly from the other, but may not use a regular candle in-between. The Rama is strict and forbids even lighting directly from one candle to the next because, essentially, one fulfilled the basic Mitzvah with the first candle, and the rest do not have the same level of Keddusha. While the Kaf HaHayim[7] writes that the Minhag is to be strict like the Rama, Hacham Ovadia Yosef rules[8] that one can follow Maran’s opinion. If, however, a candle blows out after it was lit properly, one may not light it from another Hanukkah candle, as the Mitzvah of lighting was already fulfilled.
Sources:
[1] ובאול”צ (ח”ד פרק מז ס”ו) כ’ שעדיף שילך לביתו קודם זמן ההדלקה, וידליק שם בברכה וימתין כדי שיעור הדלקה [2] אול”צ שם, ילקוט יוסף (חנוכה (סי’ תרעב סי”ד) ועוד [3] מג”א (סי’ תרעב סק”ה), משנ”ב (שם סק”י), בא”ח (ש”א פר’ וישב ס”א) ועוד[4] מג”א (שם סק”ו) ומשנ”ב (שם סקי”א) ובבא”ח (שם ס”ז), כה”ח (שם סקכ”ו), אול”צ (ח”ד פמ”ג ס”ו) ועוד [5] חמד משה (שם סק”ג), שלמי מועד (עמ’ ריח) בשם הגרש”ז אויערבך זצ”ל, חזו”ע (עמ’ סד) ועוד [6] סי’ תרעד ס”א [7] שם סק”ח [8] חזו”ע (עמ’ קג).