An interesting question arises concerning the Berachot over the Hanukah candle lighting in the case of somebody who is away from home on the first night. The Halacha in such a case is that the person’s wife, or another Shali’ah (agent), lights the candles in his home, and he fulfills the Misva through that lighting. Of course, on the first night of Hanukah, in addition to the standard two Berachot over the Misva ("Lehadlik Ner Hanukah" and "She’asa Nissim La’abotenu"), we also recite a third Beracha – "Shehehiyanu." The question thus arises as to whether one should recite this third Beracha on the second night of Hanukah if he did not personally light Hanukah candles on the first night. One might argue that just as one fulfills his obligation of lighting through his wife’s lighting, he similarly fulfills his obligation of
"Shehehiyanu" through her recitation of the Beracha. As such, he does not recite the Beracha when he lights Hanukah candles on the second night of the holiday. This is, indeed, the view taken by the Magen Abraham (Rav Abraham Gombiner, Poland, 1637-1682), in Siman 676 (listen to audio recording for precise citation).
Many other authorities, however, disagree. The Peri Hadash (Rav Hizkiya De Silva, 1656-1695) writes that if one was traveling at sea on the first night of Hanukah and fulfilled his obligation through his wife’s lighting, he must recite all three Berachot when he lights the next night. He writes that the Beracha of "Shehehiyanu" resembles Birkot Ha’nehenin (Berachot over personal benefit, such as Berachot over food), which cannot be fulfilled through the recitation of another person. Thus, even though one can fulfill the Misva of Hanukah candle lighting through somebody else’s lighting, one cannot fulfill the obligation of "Shehehiyanu" through somebody else’s recitation of the Beracha. This is also the view of the Bayit Hadash (Rav Yoel Sirkis, Poland, 1561-1640) and the Elya Rabba (Rav Eliyahu Shapiro of Prague, 1660-1712).
This is the consensus among contemporary Poskim, as well. Rav Shemuel Wosner, in Shebet Halevi (vol. 4, 68; listen to audio recording for precise citation) writes that reciting "Shehehiyanu" constitutes a "Hobat Ha’guf" – a personal obligation that cannot be executed through a proxy. This is also the view taken by Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, as cited in the work Ribebot Efrayim (vol. 6, 410; listen to audio recording for precise citation). Rav Elyashiv addresses the case of somebody who was away the first seven nights of Hanukah and lights for the first time on the eighth and final night. Even in such a case, Rav Elyashiv writes, he should recite "Shehehiyanu" since he did not fulfill his obligation to recite this Beracha through his wife’s or agent’s recitation.
Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in Hazon Ovadia – Hanukah (p. 138; listen to audio recording for precise citation) cites both views, and concludes that Halacha follows the second view, that one must recite "Shehehiyanu" in such a case. This is, indeed, the accepted Halacha.
Summary: If a person is away from home on the first night or first several nights of Hanukah, and his wife or somebody else lights in his stead at home, he recites the Beracha of "Shehehiyanu" the first time he lights for himself.
