On the first night of Hanukah, we recite three Berachot before lighting the Hanukah candles:
1) "Lehadlik Ner Hanukah"
2) "She’asa Nisim La’abotenu Ba’yamim Hahem Ba’zman Ha’ze"
3) "She’hehiyanu Ve’kiyemanu Ve’higi’anu La’zman Haze"
An interesting question arises as to which of these blessings are recited over the synagogue candle lighting on the first night of Hanukah when it falls on Friday night. Normally, when the first night falls on a weeknight, the synagogue candle lighting takes place before the lighting at home. On Friday night, however, people light Hanukah candles at home before they come to the synagogue for the Friday evening prayer service. Thus, by the time the candles are lit in the synagogue on Friday night, all the congregants had already lit candles at home and recited all three Berachot. The question, then, becomes whether or not the person lighting in the synagogue – who, like everyone else, had already lit with the Berachot at home – should repeat all three Berachot.
Hacham Ovadia Yosef rules in accordance with the view of the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), who held that on Friday night of Hanukah, only the first Beracha is recited in the synagogue (listen to audio recording for precise citation). When the first night of Hanukah falls on Friday night, such that everyone lights the candles at home before coming to the synagogue, only the Beracha of "Le’hadlik Ner" is recited in the synagogue over the act of kindling the Hanukah lights in the synagogue. The other two Berachot – "She’asa Nisim" and "She’hehiyanu" – should not recited, since they had already been recited over the lighting at home.
Summary: The person who lights the Hanukah candles in the synagogue on Friday night recites only the Beracha of "Le’hadlik"; he omits the Beracha of "She’asa Nisim," and, if the first night falls on Friday night, he omits the Beracha of "She’hehiyanu," as well.
