Search results for: ""Chanukiya""

Hidur Mitzva/Mehadrin
Almost all mitzvot may be enhanced by:
  • Making them beautiful (hidur mitzva), or
  • Observing non-required stringencies (mehadrin).
Hidur Mitzva
Examples
  • Women baking challa for Shabbat and Jewish festivals (and separating challa as a remembrance of the challa that was given to the priests/cohanim in the Temple).
  • Wearing especially nice clothes and eating special foods on Shabbat and Jewish festivals.
  • Using beautiful fragrances, tastes, textures, colors, and artistry in serving God.
Beautiful
Examples
  • Shabbat/Jewish festival table (set with beautiful challa cover, silver, kiddush cups).
  • Havdala set and pleasant-smelling spices for havdala.
  • Sukka and putting your finest things in it.
  • Etrog/etrog case.
  • Shofar.
  • Seder plate, matza holder, and matza cover.
  • Illuminated hagadas (hagadot) and megilas (megilot).
  • Chanuka candle-holder (menora, chanukiya).
  • Torah scroll written with a fine pen and beautiful script and wrapped in beautiful silks.
  • Mezuza covers.
  • Ketuba.
  • Wimple (to wrap baby in prior to brit mila; then donated to hold the two parts of the Torah together).
  • Elijah's Chair/Kisei Eliyahu.
  • Synagogues.
  • Chuppa.
Mehadrin
Examples
  • Chalav Yisrael--When consuming milk and milk products, eating or drinking only those items whose production was supervised by religious Jews;
  • Pat Yisrael—When eating bread, only eating bread baked by Jews (not necessarily by religious Jews);
  • Glatt meat—When eating meat, eating only meat that had no lesions on the animal's lungs;
  • Lighting more than one Chanuka candle each night (beginning on the 2nd night) and having more than one person in each house light their own candles.
Chanuka: Hallel on Rosh Chodesh
When Chanuka coincides with Rosh Chodesh, say full hallel (as is done on all days of Chanuka, instead of the "half-hallel" that is said on Rosh Chodesh).
Chanuka: Synagogue Menora: SheHecheyanu in Synagogue
If you light the Chanuka menora in the synagogue on the first night of Chanuka, say she'hecheyanu in synagogue. When you go home, if you light only for yourself, do not say she'hecheyanu again. However, if you light for your wife or for any adults including children above the age of bar or bat mitzva, say she'hecheyanu again.
Chanuka: Synagogue Menora: How Long To Burn
The Chanuka candles in synagogue do not need to burn for 30 minutes after dark or even for any 30-minute period but that is the ideal minimum duration for burning.
Chanuka: Synagogue Menora: Where

A Chanuka menora in a synagogue should be set up at the front of the synagogue, oriented east-west, and lit while standing on the south side and facing north (the person lighting will be facing toward the inside of the synagogue).

Chanuka: Candles: SheHecheyanu on Later Days
Say she'hecheyanu the first time you light Chanuka candles each year:
  • Even if your first time is the second or subsequent nights.
  • Even if someone lit for you the previous night.
 
Chanuka: Candles: Lighting on Friday
On Friday of Chanuka, light Shabbat candles after Chanuka candles; at least one Chanuka candle must burn until at least 30 minutes after dark.
If a man forgets to light the Chanuka candles, he may still light them until sunset or until he says Mizmor shir l'yom haShabbat, whichever comes earlier. 
But women start Shabbat when they light the Shabbat candles and so they may not light Chanuka candles after lighting Shabbat candles.
 
Chanuka Candles: Light Left to Right; Add Right to Left
Light Chanuka candles from left to right, as you face it, not as it will be seen from outside the window. Add the new candle from right to left.  For example, on the first night, put the candle on the extreme right of the menora.
To set up and light Chanuka candles:
  • Set up the candles starting from the right side of the menora.
  • Light the shamash candle and hold it while you say the blessings:
    • Lehadlik ner shel Chanuka.
    • She'asa nisim l'avoteinu ba'yamim ha'heim ba'zman ha'zeh.
    • (And on the first night, add) She'hecheyanu.
  • Light the left-most candle first and proceed to the next candle on the right, and so on.
  • Once you have lit the first candle each night, say ha'neirot hallalu (this is a halacha).
Note Once the menora has been lit, you may not turn or move it, even to the window.
Note Saying Ma'oz Tzur is a widespread custom but is not required.
Chanuka: Candles: No Work While Candles Burning
Do not do any “work” while the Chanuka candles are burning.
Reason In order to show that we are not using the candles for any other purpose.
Note “Work” may include some housework but usually means skilled labor done by professionals that may not be done on chol ha'moed and that requires light to do it.
Chanuka: Candles: Do Not Use Light
You may not use light from Chanuka candles for any purpose (do not read by them; do not light other candles from them, except from the shamash).
Chanuka: Candles: Relighting Candle that Blew Out
You do not need to relight Chanuka candles that blew out after having burned for less than 30 minutes after dark, if they had been lit in a place where they would not be expected to have blown out.
If they were lit in a windy or drafty place, you must relight them in a different place and say the blessings again.
 
Chanuka: Candles: Relighting Candle That Burned Out
A Chanuka candle (or candles) that is expected to burn for at least 30 minutes does not need to be replaced or relit, even if it burns out in less than 30 minutes.
Chanuka: Candles: Must Burn 30 Minutes
Chanuka candles must burn for at least 30 minutes after dark.
 
Chanuka: Candles: If You Fell Asleep before Lighting
Wake up sometime during the night and light the Chanuka candles if you fell asleep before dark.
Chanuka: Candles: Latest Time To Light
Latest time to light Chanuka candles: 102 minutes before sunrise (so they will burn for 30 minutes before daybreak).