** Today, Dec. 10th, B"H we will email out to everyone a 32 page (PDF) booklet with Halachot on Hunakah. Please enjoy.**
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Today’s Halacha…
Before lighting the candles on the first night of Hanukah, we recite the Beracha of "Shehehiyanu" in addition to the two Berachot recited on every night of the holiday. If a person did not, for whatever reason, recite this Beracha on the first night, then he recites "Shehehiyanu" when he lights the candles on the second night, or on whichever night he remembers. The Tur (Rabbi Yaakov Ben Asher, 1270-1340), citing his father, the Rosh (Rabbenu Asher Ben Yehiel, 1250-1327), addresses the similar case of a person who was away home on the first night of Hanukah, and was unable to light the Hanukah candles until the second night (listen to audio recording for precise citation). In such a case, the Tur writes, the individual recites "Shehehiyanu" on the second night. Similarly, one who lit the Hanukah candles on the first night but forgot to recite "Shehehiyanu" should recite this Beracha when he lights on the second night.
If a person forgot to recite "Shehehiyanu" on all of the eight nights of Hanukah, and remembers on the eighth day, should he recite "Shehehiyanu" at that point?
This issue hinges on the question of whether the recitation of "Shehehiyanu" on Hanukah relates specifically to the Misva of lighting the candles, or also to the occasion of Hanukah. On Yom Tob, the Beracha of "Shehehiyanu" which we recite at Kiddush refers not merely to the Misva of Kiddush, but rather to the occasion of Yom Tob. Therefore, a person who forgot to recite "Shehehiyanu" at Kiddush recites it at whichever point during Yom Tob he remembers, wherever he is, even in the street. Regarding Hanukah, however, one might argue that the Beracha is recited specifically in reference to the Misva of lighting the Hanukah candles, such that if one remembered to recite the Beracha after lighting the candles on the eighth night, he may no longer recite the Beracha.
The Meiri (Rav Menahem Meiri, France, 13th century) compared Hanukah to Yom Tob in this regard, and therefore, in his view, a person in the case described above would recite "Shehehiyanu" on the eighth day of Hanukah. This is the view taken by the Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1895-1933), in his Sha’ar Ha’siyun (676:3). Hacham Ovadia Yosef, however, cites other authorities who disagreed, and maintained that the Beracha of "Shehehiyanu" on Hanukah may be recited only at the time of lighting the candles. He thus applies to this case the rule of "Safek Berachot Le’hakel" – we do not recite a Beracha if its requirement is subject to doubt – and maintains that one should not recite "Shehehiyanu" in such a case.
A married man who is away from home on any night of Hanukah does not light Hanukah candles that night, as he fulfills his obligation through his wife’s lighting at home. An interesting question arises in the case of a husband who is away on business at the beginning of Hanukah, and then returns home at some point during the holiday, such as on the third night. On that night, he lights the Hanukah candles for the first time that year. Does he recite "Shehehiyanu" when lighting on that night, since he lights for the first time, or does he omit "Shehehiyanu," since his obligation was fulfilled through his wife’s recitation of this Beracha on the first night? In other words, when his wife lit on his behalf, did he only fulfill his obligation to light the candles, or is he also covered with respect to the Beracha of "Shehehiyanu"?
Hacham Ovadia Yosef (listen to audio recording for precise citation) cites differing views on this issue, and concludes that one should, in fact, recite "Shehehiyanu" in this case. He cites the position of Rav Yishak Tayib that Halacha treats the Beracha of "Shehehiyanu" more leniently with regard to the rule of "Safek Berachot Le’hakel," and therefore in some instances we would require reciting the Beracha even in situations of a debate among the authorities. Hacham Ovadia thus maintains that when a husband fulfilled his obligation of lighting on the first night through his wife’s lighting, he recites "Shehehiyanu" the first time he lights, even though his wife had recited the Beracha.
Summary: A person who did not recite "Shehehiyanu" when he lit Hanukah candles on the first night of Hanukah recites the Beracha on the second night, or on whichever night he remembers. If he did not remember to recite the Beracha until after he lit the candles on the eighth night, he may no longer recite the Beracha. A husband who was away from home at the beginning of Hanukah, and thus relied on his wife’s lighting at home, recites the Beracha of "Shehehiyanu" when he lights for the first time.
