It is no coincidence that the holiday of Hanukkah falls out at a time of the year when the nights are longest and the cold of winter permeates the land. Moreover, the moon barely shines, since Hanukkah coincides with the days immediately preceding Rosh Chodesh, when the moon wanes.
Lighting the Menorah demonstrates how a small ray of our light disperses a great deal of the darkness of foreign cultures.
During the First Temple era, prophecy abounded among the Jewish people, and they studied primarily the Written Law. After the Temple was destroyed and prophecy ceased, the time came for the Oral Law to take its rightful place. The Oral Law displays the high stature of the Jewish people, who share in the revelation of the Torah’s light. The cardinal principles are set forth in the Written Law, but our Sages of the Oral Law paved the way for their implementation.
The foundations for the study of the Oral Law were laid during the Second Temple era – including all the edicts, “fences,” and customs. By virtue of the unique light of the Oral Law, which, similar to the Hanukkah candles illuminates the darkness, we have succeeded in overcoming all the tribulations of the exile.
A New Candle Every Day, Culminating with Eight
The pure spirituality manifest in the Torah is eternal; therefore, it constantly increases. Other passing ideas fade away and expire. Embracing this wondrous idea, Jews are accustomed to fulfill this commandment in the most exemplary manner, "mehadrin min ha’mehadrin”, adding a new candle each night so that on the final day, eight candles are lit.
The Torah as well belongs to the eighth dimension, for it comes to elevate nature to a Divine level. This is why the Torah was given after the seven-week Sefirah count, which represents the wholeness of nature. After counting the seven weeks of Sefirah, we rise to a level above nature – the holiday of Shavu’ot, when the Torah was given. Likewise, we complete the reading of the Torah on Shemini Atzeret (the eighth day from the beginning of Sukkot), which is Simchat Torah, the culmination of the High Holy Days at the beginning of the year.
In a similar fashion, the days of Hanukkah belong to the realm of the supernatural, for they reveal the lofty stature of the Oral Law. For that reason, we light candles for eight nights, adding a new one each night.
Our sages have ruled that the Hanukkah candles must be lit at that hour which allows for maximum publicity of the Hanukkah miracle. In the past when there were no street lamps, people would begin gathering in their homes just before nightfall. At sunset, therefore, the streets were full of people returning home. For that reason, our Sages ruled that the time for lighting Hanukkah candles is "from sundown until the marketplace has emptied out" (Shabbat 21b).
Even though today we have electric lighting and most people return home hours after darkness, the best time for lighting Hanukkah candles is still the time chosen by our Sages.
Q: Is it permissible, when necessary, to light the candles later than this time?
Furthermore, even the authorities who hold that in the past the candles had to be lit precisely during the half hour after nightfall explain that this was because everybody returned home from work at that time and lit Hanukkah candles in the entrances of their homes. In those days the miracle could only be publicized at that hour.
However, since the period of the Rishonim (early Torah authorities, from the 10th till the 15th centuries,C.E.) when danger caused many to begin lighting candles inside their homes, the actual publicizing of the miracle takes place in the presence of the family members, and it no longer matters if one lights at nightfall or later.
However, great effort should be made not to delay the lighting of Hanukkah candles beyond nine o'clock, for very few people return home from work after this time. One who lights candles late must be careful not to eat a meal (achilat keva) until lighting the candles.
A Delayed Spouse
In many families the question arises: what should be done when one of the spouses cannot return home from work at nightfall? Should the other spouse light candles at nightfall (about 5:00 p.m.) or wait for his or her partner to return?
According to the letter of the law, the spouse at home should light candles at nightfall and discharge his or her partner of this obligation. However, in practice, it is usually best to wait for the delayed spouse to return. In general, any one of the following three reasons justifies postponing candle lighting until the spouse has returned:
2. If a delayed spouse is liable to be offended or hurt if the candles are lit without him, it is best to wait. Maintaining domestic tranquility is more important than lighting Hanukkah candles at the choicest time.
It follows, therefore, that only when the delayed partner can hear the candle lighting blessings elsewhere, and his or her absence is a onetime occurrence, is it preferable for the spouse at home to light candles at the choicest hour, nightfall.
Under other circumstances, though, it is best to wait for the partner to return home. At any rate, when waiting for the partner, the candle lighting should not be put off until later than 9:00 P.M., and family members must refrain from eating a meal ("achilat keva") from half an hour before nightfall until after the Hanukkah candles have been lit.
According to Ashkenazi custom, the spouse at home may light candles at nightfall and intend not to discharge the absent partner of his or her obligation, so that upon returning, they can light the candles and recite the blessings on their own. However, it is not necessary to do this, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with waiting for the partner to return (for one or more of the reasons mentioned above).
Should the lighting be delayed for tardy children? The Sephardic custom is that one family member lights for all of the others. Therefore, for one of the three reasons mentioned above, it is necessary to wait for any family member above Bar- or Bat-Mitzvah age who is unable to reach home at nightfall. According to the Ashkenazi custom, though, the candles should be lit at nightfall, and when the tardy son or daughter arrives, he or she lights the candles and recites the blessings on their own.
Lighting in Public Places
Nevertheless, it is unclear whether the blessings should be recited in this case, or not. Some authorities are of the opinion that since more than ten people are viewing the candle lighting, the gathering is considered similar to the case of a synagogue, and blessings should be recited. Other authorities argue that the blessings were only established for lighting at home or at a synagogue.
This article was translated from Hebrew.