מתני' גץ שיצא מתחת הפטיש והזיק חייב גמל שהיה טעון פשתן ועבר ברשות הרבים ונכנס פשתנו לתוך החנות ודלקו בנרו של חנוני והדליק את הבירה בעל גמל חייב הניח חנוני נרו מבחוץ החנוני חייב רבי יהודה אומר בנר חנוכה פטור: גמ'... אמר רב כהנא דרש רב נתן בר מניומי משמיה דרבי תנחום נר חנוכה שהניחה למעלה מעשרים אמה פסולה כסוכה וכמבוי: הדרן עליך הכונס
MISHNAH: A spark that escapes from under a hammer and causes damage, [the one who caused the spark] is liable. A camel that was loaded with flax and was passing through the public domain and the flax entered into a store and was lit by a candle of the store owner and lit the building on fire, the owner of the camel is liable. The store owner who places his candle outside of his shop is liable. Rabbi Yehudah said:"In regards to a chanukkah candle he is exempt." GEMARA: Ravina said in the name of Rava: "Learn from the words of Rabbi Yehudah that the mitzvah to place [Chanukkah candles] is within ten [tefachim, hand-breadths]. That if you would have thought that [the mitzvah] was for above ten [hand-breadths] why would Rabbi Yehudah [maintain that the one who places a] Chanukkah candle [that does damage] is exempt? Why should [the plaintiff] not say [against] him "You should place it above the camel and it's rider!" Rather, no. Learn from this that the mitzvah is to place it within ten. But this is not always so. You could say that even above ten! And what about your argument that "You should have placed it above the camel and it's rider?" That since it's in regards to being busy with a mitzvah, to that extent the rabbis could not make it troublesome. Rav Kahana said that Rav Natan the son of Meneyomi raised an opinion in the name of Rabbi Tanchum "A chanukkah candle that is placed above twenty cubits is invalid, like a sukkah and an alleyway."
רב שיזבי דביתהו דרב יוסף הות מאחרה ומדלקת לה אמר לה רב יוסף תניא (שמות יג, כב) לא ימיש עמוד הענן יומם ועמוד האש לילה מלמד שעמוד ענן משלים לעמוד האש ועמוד האש משלים לעמוד הענן סברה לאקדומה אמר לה ההוא סבא תנינא ובלבד שלא יקדים ושלא יאחר:
And because of idling the poor - so that the poor will not sit and wait, [thinking] "now the householder will set aside pe'ah. And because of suspicion - that passersby do not say, "Let a curse come upon the man who does not leave pe'ah in his field. And because of "do not finish [reaping]" - but aren't they all because of "don't finish [reaping]"? Rava said: [it's] because of the cheaters. Rav Yitzchak bar Redifah said that Rav Huna said: A candle that has two openings [lit. "mouths"] counts for two people. Rava said: [If] one filled a bowl [with] oil and surrounded it with wicks - if he upended a vessel upon in [like a lid], it counts for a number of people; if he didn't upend a vessel upon it - he's made it into a kind of bonfire and it doesn't count even for one person. Rav said: It's simple that [if he can afford either] a light for his home [i.e., for Shabbat] and the Chanukkah light, a light for his home is preferred, because of [considerations of] domestic tranquility. A light for his home and [wine for] sanctification of the day, a light for his home is preferred, because of domestic tranquility; Rava asked: The Chanukkah candle and sanctification of the day, what is [the ruling]? Is sanctification of the day preferred, because it is a frequent[practice], or perhaps the Chanukkah candle is prefered, because of publicizing the miracle? After he asked, he came back and resolved [lit. "simplified"] it: The Chanukkah candle is preferred, because of publicizing the miracle.
תנן מבלאי מכנסי כהנים ומהמיניהם היו מפקיעין ומהן מדליקין שמחת בית השואבה שאני
Rav Huna said: The wicks and oils that the Sages said [we] don't light with them on Shabbat - we don't light with them on Chanukkah, whether on Shabbat [of Chanukkah] or on the weekdays. Rava said: What is the reasoning of Rav Huna? He is thinking: If it goes out, he is [yet] obligated to [relight] it, and [one] is permitted to use its light. And Rav Chisda said: [We] light with them on the weekdays [of Chanukkah] but not on Shabbat [of Chanukkah] - he is thinking: If it goes out,...
(ב) במוצאי יום טוב הראשון של חג, ירדו לעזרת נשים, ומתקנין שם תקון גדול .ומנורות של זהב היו שם, וארבעה ספלים של זהב בראשיהן וארבעה סלמות לכל אחד ואחד, וארבעה ילדים מפרחי כהנה ובידיהם כדים של שמן של מאה ועשרים לג, שהן מטילין לכל ספל וספל. (ג) מבלאי מכנסי כהנים ומהמיניהן מהן היו מפקיעין, ובהן היו מדליקין, ולא היתה חצר בירושלים שאינה מאירה מאור בית השואבה.
(2) At the expiration of the first holy day of the festival they descended into the women's court, where great preparations were made [for the rejoicing]. Four golden candelabras were [placed] there, with four golden basins to each; and four ladders [were put] to each candelabra, [on which ladders stood] four lads from the rising youth of the priesthood, holding jars of oil, containing 120 lugs, with which they replenished [fed] the basins. (3) The cast-off breeches and belts of the priests were torn into shreds for wicks, which they lighted. There was not a court in Jerusalem that was not illuminated by the lights of the water-drawing.
ת"ר מצות חנוכה נר איש וביתו והמהדרין נר לכל אחד ואחד והמהדרין מן המהדרין ב"ש אומרים יום ראשון מדליק שמנה מכאן ואילך פוחת והולך וב"ה אומרים יום ראשון מדליק אחת מכאן ואילך מוסיף והולך אמר עולא פליגי בה תרי אמוראי במערבא ר' יוסי בר אבין ור' יוסי בר זבידא חד אמר טעמא דב"ש כנגד ימים הנכנסין וטעמא דב"ה כנגד ימים היוצאין וחד אמר טעמא דב"ש כנגד פרי החג וטעמא דבית הלל דמעלין בקדש ואין מורידין אמר רבה בר בר חנה א"ר יוחנן שני זקנים היו בצידן אחד עשה כב"ש ואחד עשה כדברי ב"ה זה נותן טעם לדבריו כנגד פרי החג וזה נותן טעם לדבריו דמעלין בקדש ואין מורידין
[one] is not obligated to [relight] it and [one] is permitted to use its light; Rabbi Zera said that Rav Matna said, and some say it [thus]: Rabbi Zera said that Rav said: The wicks and oils that the Sages said [we] don't light with them on Shabbat, we [may] light with them on Chanukkah, whether on Shabbat [of Chanukkah] or on the weekdays. Rabbi Yirmiyah said: What is Rav's reasoning? He is thinking: ... If it goes out, [one] is not obligated to [relight] it, and [one] is forbidden from using its light. The Sages said this [teaching] before Abbaye in the name of Rabbi Yirmiyah, and he did not accept it; when Ravin came, they said this [teaching] before Abbaye in the name of Rabbi Yochanan and he accepted it. He said, ... "If I had merited, I would have learned [i.e., accepted] the teaching from the outset! - But behold, [in the end] he learned [i.e., accepted] it! -... the practical implication is for the [virtues of] the [rehearsed] learning of one's youth. "If it goes out, [one] is not obligated to [relight] it" -... they threw [a contradictory source] against it: "Its mitzvah is from when the sun sets until the foot is gone from the marketplace". Is this not [implying] that if it goes one, [one] is obligated to [relight] it?! No, [it's implying] that if he didn't light [immediately after sunset], he [still] lights [until "the foot is gone..."]; alternatively, for [indicating] ... it's measuring [of duration]. "Until the foot is gone from the marketplace" - and until how [late is that]? Rabba bar Rav Chana said that Rabbi Yochanan said: Until the foot of the Tarmodian [caste] is gone. ... Our Sages taught: The mitzvah of Chanukkah is a [single] candle for [each] man and his household, and those who are scrupulous: A candle for each and every one, and the scrupulous among and the scrupulous among the scrupulous: Beit Shammai say: The first day he lights eight, from here going [forward], he goes on reducing, and Beit Hillel says: The first day he lights one, from here going [forward], he goes on adding. Ulla said: ... They argued about it - two Amoraim from the West [i.e., Eretz Yisrael]: Rabbi Yosi ben Avin and Rabbi Yosi ben Zevida. One said: the reasoning of Beit Shammai is: to correspond to the days which are entering,and the reasoning of Beit Hillel is: to correspond to the days which are going out; [the other] one said: the reasoning of Beit Shammai is: to correspond to the bulls [offered on Sukkot] and the reasoning of Beit Hillel is that [we] raise up in holiness and [we] do not lower. Rabbah bar Bar Chanah said that Rabbi Yochanan said: There were two elder [scholars] in Tzidon, one did like the words of Beit Shammai, and [the other] one did like the words of Beit Hillel. This [one] gave reason for his words [i.e., actions] - corresponding to the bulls [offered] on Sukkot, and this [other] one gavereason for his words: that [we] raise up in holiness and [we] do not lower. Our Sages taught: The Chanukkah candle - it is a mitzvah to place it at the door of his house, on the outside, and if he was living in an attic [i.e., with no direct access to public areas], he places it in a window adjoining the public area and in times of danger [i.e., persecution], he places it on his table and it is sufficient for him. Rava said:... He needs another light [in order] to use its [i.e., the Chanukkah candles'] light and if there is a hearth-fire, he doesn't need [another light], but if he is a wealthy man, even though there is a hearth-fire, he does need another light. What is Chanukkah? ... That [which] our Sages taught: On the 25th of Kislev - the days of Chanukkah, they are eight, not to eulogize on them and not to fast on them, for when the Greeks entered the Temple, they polluted all the oils in the Temple, and when the Hasmonean dynasty overcame and defeated them, they checked and they found but one cruse of oil that was set in place with the seal of the High Priest, but there was in only [enough] to light a single day. A miracle was done with it, and they lit from it for eight days. The following year [the Sages] fix those [days], making them holidays for praise and thanksgiving. We taught there [in a Mishnah]: A spark that goes out from under the hammer, [if] it went out and damaged, he [i.e., the smith] is liable. If a camel was loaded with flax and passes in the public domain and the flax enters [i.e., protrudes] into a store and it catches fire from the storekeeper's candle and sets the whole area [lit.: group of buildings] ablaze, the camel owner is liable. If the storekeeper set his candle outside, the storekeeper is liable. Rabbi Yehudah says:... With a Chanukkah candle, he is exempt.... Ravina said: This implies... [that for] the Chanukkah candle, it is a mitzvah to set it within ten handbredths [from the ground], for if it occurred to you [that it is acceptable] above ten handbreadths, let him [i.e., the camel owner] say to him [i.e., the storekeeper]: ... "you should have set it above camel and rider!" - ... But perhaps,... if we trouble him so much, he will come to refrain from the mitzvah! ... Rav Kahana said: Rav Natan bar Manyumei expounded in the name of Rav Tanchum...
Maccabees II 10:6-8
And they celebrated the eight days in joy as chag ha-sukkot in their remembrance of their troubles before some time on chag ha-sukkot in the mountains and caves as beasts of the field. Therefore, with branches of myrtle and branches of beauty and date palm branches in their hands, they gave thanks to He who permitted them to succeed in purifying His Temple. And with a consensus they established for the entire Jewish nation to celebrate each year these days.
טור אורח חיים הלכות חנוכה סימן תרפד
וקורין בפרשת נשא בנשיאים ג' בכל יום ומפרש בפסיקתא משום שנשלם מלאכת המשכן בכ"ה כסליו