DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
"Delivered to Over 6000 Registered Recipients Each Day"

      
(File size: 580 KB)
Chanukah- Lighting the Menorah on Friday Night

Halacha says that the lighting of the Menorah precedes the lighting of Nerot Shabbat. So on Friday night, we first light the Menorah and then the ladies light the Shabbat candles.

The normal time for Shabbat candle lighting is eighteen minutes before sunset. Menorah lighting on Friday night would then be about 20-23 minutes before sunset. In Brooklyn, New York, Shabbat candle lighting time is at 4:10 PM. Therefore, Menorah lighting time on Friday night is at about 4:05 PM.

Halacha says that one must be careful not to light the Menorah on any given day (including Friday) before a time that is called Plag Mincha. In Brooklyn, New York, Plag Mincha during Chanukah is at about 4:00 PM. So on Friday night, one must light after 4:00 PM and before Shabbat candle lighting time which is at 4:10 PM. If one lit before 4:00 PM (Plag Mincha), he would have to put it out and relight again.

Now we also should mention that one should put enough oil into his Menorah, or have long enough Menorah candles, to last until half hour after sunset. On week nights, the Menorah preferably is lit about 12 minutes after sunset, and it is supposed to last at least 30 minutes. That means the light should normally last at least past a total of 42 minutes after sunset. On Friday night we said above that we light the Menorah about 23 minutes before sunset. So when you add 42 minutes plus 23 minutes, it means that on Friday night the Menorah needs to last for at least about 65 minutes. (Torat HaMoadim page 92)

On Motzae Shabbat (Saturday night) the custom in the synagogue is to light the Menorah first and then make Havdalah. The custom at home however, is to make Havdalah first and then light the Menorah. Why the disparity? We light the Menorah in the synagogue before making Havdalah for primarily 2 reasons. First, we want to be Pirsum HaNes and glorify the miracle of Chanukah with the lighting of the Menorah in the synagogue. But since many congregants leave immediately after Havdalah and would miss Menorah lighting, we therefore light the Menorah first. The second reason is in order to prolong the Shabbat. So for these 2 reasons we light the Menorah before making Havdalah when in shul. But when at home, these reasons do not apply and therefore in the house one would light the Menorah only after making Havdalah. (Torat HaMoadim page 202-209.)

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
The Laws of Karpas
Passover- How Much Wine Must One Drink for the Four Cups at the Seder?
Passover- If a Woman Recited "She'hecheyanu" at Candle Lighting, Does She Answer "Amen" to Her Husband's Recitation at Kiddush in the Seder?
Changing To ‘Morid Hatal” on the First Day of Pesach; Conducting a "Se'udat Ester" on the Second Day of Pesach
Passover- Using Specifically "Matza Shemura" at the Seder
Is It Permissible To Do Laundry On Hol HaMoed
Passover- Is It Permissible To Lean, Talk, or Drink During The Seder
Passover- The Third and Fourth Cups of Wine at the Seder
Passover- Is It Permissible For A Girl To Recite A Solo of The Ma Nishtana
Passover- Preparing For The 2nd Seder and Yom Tov Sheni
Passover- Is It Permissible To Drink Milk On Pesach From A Goy Owned Cow Which Consumed Hametz On Pesach
Passover- How Much Flour Is Required For Hallah or Matza
Changing To, and If One Forgets To Recite "Morid Ha'tal"
Passover- If One Mistakenly Used A Hametz Pot On Pesach
Passover- Is It Required To Make Bedikat (Searching For) Hametz in One's Vehicle.wma
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found