Publicizing the Miracle: For Whom?

The Gemara asks: What is Hanukkah, and why are lights kindled on Hanukkah? The Gemara answers: The Sages taught in Megillat Ta’anit: On the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the days of Hanukkah are eight. One may not eulogize on them and one may not fast on them. What is the reason? When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary they defiled all the oils that were in the Sanctuary by touching them. And when the Hasmonean monarchy overcame them and emerged victorious over them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil that was placed with the seal of the High Priest, undisturbed by the Greeks. And there was sufficient oil there to light the candelabrum for only one day. A miracle occurred and they lit the candelabrum from it eight days. The next year the Sages instituted those days and made them holidays with recitation of hallel and special thanksgiving in prayer and blessings.

Rav Sheshet said: With regard to the Temple candelabrum, it is stated: “Outside the veil of the testimony, in the Tent of Meeting, shall Aaron order it from evening to morning before the Lord continually...(Leviticus 24:3). It must be understood: And does God require its light for illumination at night? Didn’t the children of Israel, all forty years that they walked in the wilderness, walk exclusively by His light, the pillar of fire? Rather, the lighting of the candelabrum is testimony to the whole world that the Divine Presence rests among Israel.

The Sages taught in a baraita: It is a mitzva to place the Hanukkah lamp at the entrance to one’s house on the outside, so that all can see it. If he lived upstairs, he places it at the window adjacent to the public domain. And in a time of danger, he places it on the table and that is sufficient to fulfill his obligation.

(1) One needs to be very diligent in kindling the Hanukkah lights. Even a poor man living off charity must lend or sell his clothes, and buy oil to kindle with.

Rav Huna said: One who is accustomed to kindle lights on Shabbat and Hanukkah will be rewarded and have children who are Torah scholars, who will disseminate the light of Torah.

Children who are Torah scholars: As the verse in Proverbs states, "The Commandment is a candle, and the Torah is a light, so through fulfilling the mitzvah of the candle of Hanukkah and Shabbat the light of Torah will come as well.

If one did not light at sunset, he/she may light candles until traffic ceases from the marketplace: But from that point onwards, the time has passed, and you therefore need to be careful to light as soon as it turns to night so that you don't wait too long. However if you are later than this you should still light, as it appears to the Ri that it doesn't matter what time you light since we are only lighting for the people in the house, and we leave our lights inside.

(5) One may not light Chanukah candles before the sun sets, but rather [light] with its setting - not after, and not before. [If] he forgot or intentionally did not light with the setting of the sun, he can light until pedestrians leave the marketplace. And how long is this time? Like a half hour or more. If this time passes, he [may] not light. And he needs to put enough oil in the candle so that it will continue to be lit until the pedestrians leave the marketplace. If he lit it and it became extinguished it, he is not required to light it another time. If it stayed lit after the pedestrians leave the marketplace, he can extinguish it or take it away, if he wants.

"We thank You also for the miraculous deeds and for the redemption and for the mighty deeds and the saving acts wrought by You, as well as for the wars which You waged for our ancestors in ancient days at this season. In the days of the Hasmonean Mattathias, son of Johanan the high priest, and his sons, when the iniquitous Greco-Syrian kingdom rose up against Your people Israel, to make them forget Your Torah and to turn them away from the ordinances of Your will, then You in your abundant mercy rose up for them in the time of their trouble, pled their cause, executed judgment, avenged their wrong, and delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and insolent ones into the hands of those occupied with Your Torah. Both unto Yourself did you make a great and holy name in Your world, and unto Your people did You achieve a great deliverance and redemption. Whereupon your children entered the sanctuary of Your house, cleansed Your temple, purified Your sanctuary, kindled lights in Your holy courts, and appointed these eight days of Hanukkah in order to give thanks and praises unto Your holy name."