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...
Is It Permissible To Ask A Goy To Perform A Task During Twilight On Friday Night and Saturday Night
Covering The Bread During Kiddush
Is A Button That falls Off A Shirt On Shabbat Considered Muktze
What Is The Proper Time For Ladies To Dip In The Mikveh On A Friday Night or Yom Tov Night
Spraying Insect Repellent on Shabbat
Asking a Non-Jew to Turn on One's Oven on Shabbat
Placing Roses in a Vase on Shabbat
Nursing or Expressing Breast Milk on Shabbat
Eating or Cutting Food With Lettering on Shabbat
Adding Personal Requests to One's Prayers on Shabbat
Laws of Sovea -Is It Permissible To Use A Napkin To Wipe Strawberries or A Similar Coloring Item From Your Face on Shabbat
The Laws of Tzoveia- Is It Permissible for Ladies To Wear Make-Up On Shabbat
Is It Permissible For A Chazan To Use A Tuning Fork On Shabbat
May A Person Make Netilat Yadayim On Shabbat if There Is Written Ink On His Hands That May Become Erased
The Various Stages of Accepting the "Neshama Yeteira" ("Additional Soul") During the Friday Night Prayer Service
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found