CHANUKAH POTPOURRI

(taken from the Sdei Chemed)

  1. Is there any halachic basis for the practice of lighting candles in shul in the morning during Chanukah? Certainly, there is no mitzva of lighting during the day, and there is not even an idea of making up a missed lighting by doing so during the day (as we have by Sefirat HaOmer). It could be that this practice finds its source in Rambam (Hilchot Temidim U'Mussafim 3), where he notes that when the Kohein Gadol came to clean out the candles of the menorah in the morning, if any candle had been extinguished his re-lighting of it would count as a halachic act of lighting the menorah. Thus, we do have a precedent for a daytime lighting of the menorah.

 

  1. The law is that a person should ideally place his Chanukah candles on the left side of his doorway. The reason for this is that this way the person will have the mezuzah on the right side of the door and the candles on the left and thus be surrounded by mitzvot. However, what does a person do if he has no mezuzah? This refers to a case of a person who rents a house outside of the land of Israel. Fir the first thirty days he is not considered to be a permanent resident and thus does not have to put up a mezuzah. In such a case, the Sdei Chemed rules that a person should put the Chanukah candles on the right side (since the right side is generally favored in halacha). If the thirty days finish during Chanukah and he now has an obligation to put up a mezuzah, he should put it on the right side as usual, and shift the Chanukah candles to the left.

 

  1. There is a practice, still extant in some places, to say a different Shir Shel Yom on holidays. However, what is one to do on the day or days of Chanukah that fall out on Rosh Chodesh Tevet? Should the special psalm for Rosh Chodesh be said or the one for Chanukah? The reason to favor Rosh Chodesh would be the principle that that which comes more often always takes precedence. On the other hand, the principle of publicizing the miracle of Chanukah is extremely significant in halacha, and perhaps it should take priority! The city of Tzfat had a custom that solved this quandary - they would recite the special psalm for Chanukah after Shacharit, and the special one for Rosh Chodesh after Mussaf (since the Mussaf was a function of Rosh Chodesh alone).

 


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