The document provides information about the customs and laws related to lighting the menorah for Chanukah. It discusses the differences between the menorah in the Temple and the Chanukah menorah. It describes the customs of eating foods like latkes and donuts to celebrate Chanukah. The document outlines the three levels of fulfilling the mitzvah of lighting the menorah candles and explains practices like lighting the shamash candle first.

1. Hilchos Chanukah
Created By
A.Y.S.

2. The Chanukah Menorah Is not
the same as the Menorah in
the Beis Hamikdash.

3. The Menorah in the Beis
Hamikdash had 7 lights.

4. The Chanukah Menorah Has eight
lights on it!

5. This Reminds us of the miracle of
the oil that burned 8 days!
I Cant
believe
its still
burning!!
Can you
imagine!

6. Chanukah begins on the evening of the
25th of Kislev and continues for eight days

7. For the entire eight days of Chanukah it
is forbidden to fast or to eulogize
Oh! its
Chanuka, h
I have to
eat! !

8. Sometimes working is
not a good idea!

9. It is customary for women not to work for
at least the first half hour of the candles
burning..
Yeah! I
get a
break
from
work
I can't wait I can't wait
for for
Chanukah Chanukah

10. The types of
activities that
are forbidden
are things like
sewing and
laundry etc.

11. She is still allowed to do cooking
I hope that they
I wish I could leave us some
be playing Latkes!
Dradel!

12. There is no obligation
to have festive meals;
however it is customary
to celebrate by eating
special meals anyway,
because of the fact that
the dedication of the
Beis Hamikdash and
Mizbeiach took place
during Chanukah.

13. It is customary to eat milk foods because Yehudis, daughter of
Yochanan the High Priest, was taken to be defiled by the Greek
ruler Holofernes.
Dairy
Dairy

14. She fed him cheese (to make him
thirsty) and wine (to quench his thirst.
When he got drunk she cut off his head
I was crazy for eating
that cheese.

15. I was crazy for eating
that cheese.

16. and after getting him drunk she
killed him

17. There is a
custom to
eat food
fried in oil

18. Latkes

19. It is a minhag to eat donuts on Chanuka

21. I can`t wait to bite
into this donut

22. I can't
wait to
bite into
the
person!
!

24. Sufganiot Snow Man

25. One should increase in giving Tzedakah during Chanukah ,
especially for poor people that learn Torah.

26. We are obligated to light a
Menorah on Chanukah and
one should even borrow
money to fulfill this mitzvah.

27. He needs to borrow enough to light 44 lights. 36 for the
days and 8 more for the shamash

28. Remember ! The need to do a Mitzvah
does not allow you to do an Aveirah!!!
Right! Wrong!

29. If a poor person needs Please someone,
money for Chanukah Just someone, give
candles the community is me money for
obligated to provide for menorah oil!!!!!
him
money for
menorah
oil

30. I Got It!

31. Any type of oil is acceptable for use
in the menorah.

32. However, it is best to
use olive oil, because
the miracle happened
with olive oil.

33. I Told You that I am the
best!

34. I am too lazy to turn on
the lights
on Chanukah because
my leg is broken.
The law is to
light the Neiros

35. The light should be clear,
and the wicks should not
flicker
If you don't have olive
oil, choose an oil that
burns with a clean clear
flame

36. If you need to use candles the best
one to use is made of beeswax

37. You may like my
wax, but you sure
won`t like me!!
!

38. The candle
must have
only one wick

39. We
cannot
use a
Havadala
h candle
that must
have
have two
or more
wicks

40. The Kaf Hachaim (60) brings down the
Sefer Chesed L'Avraham,
that there are 15 vessels that are fit for
lighting the Chanukah candles in them

41. Gold, Silver, Copper like Gold, red copper, Iron, Tin,
Lead, Glass, Wood, Bone, Clay (pottery) covered with Lead,
plain Pottery, Pomegranate peels, Walnut shell, Oak Wood peelings

42. Tin

43. Silver

44. Glass

45. Walnut
shell

46. Pomegranate peels

47. Once a person has
used an
earthenware lamp
on one night, it
[deteriorates and
begins to look] old,
and therefore may
not be used again,
because it is
disgusting
("ma'us").
Clay

48. Iron

49. Wood

50. The Shaare Teshuvah (O.C.
673:3:8) brings down the
Chesed L'Avraham,
who says that a person
should not light in egg
shells or onion peels

51. You mean I
can`t help
…or onion peels for
chanukah!
Don't feel bad!
you’re
awesome
tasting in me!

52. This
Menorah is
Kasher
Liachila
but not
Lihadlakah

53. Regarding Chanukah, the Talmud states
that there are three levels of fulfilling the
mitzvah of lighting candles:
Those who are "mehadrin" beyond mere "mehadrin"
("mehadrin min hamehadrin") light one candle on the first
night, and add one extra candle on each subsequent night,
ending with eight candles on the final night
Those who are "mehadrin" have each member of
the family light one candle on each night of
Chanukah.
One can fulfill the mitzvah by
lighting one candle per household
per night

54. a) One can fulfill the
mitzvah by lighting one
candle per household per
night

55. b) Those who are
"mehadrin" have
each member of
the family light one
candle on each
night of Chanukah.

56. c) Those who are "mehadrin" beyond mere "maharini" ("mehadrin min
hamehadrin") light one candle on the first night, and add one extra candle on
each subsequent night, ending with eight candles on the final night

57. This person got eight cars for presents.
Anther one every night of Chanukah

58. The word "mehadrin" comes from the word
"hidur" which means "beauty," and refers to
those who make their mitzvos beautiful (See
Rambam, Laws of Chanukah 4:1: "Mehader es
ha'mitzvos"). We are encouraged to purchase
beautiful mitzvah objects, such as a beautiful
lulav, a beautiful shofar and beautiful tzitziz,
based on the verse in Exodus 15:2: "This is my
G-d, and I will make Him beautiful."

59. To best
publicize the
miracle, the
menorah is
ideally lit
outside the
doorway of
your house, on
the left side
when entering.
(The mezuzah
is on the right
side; in this
way you are
"surrounded
by mitzvot.")

60. In Israel, many people light outside in
special glass boxes built for a menorah.

61. If this is not practical, the menorah should be
lit in a window facing the public thoroughfare

62. Someone who
lives on an
upper floor
should light in
a window

63. Menorah Lighting in the
K`tonton Family
If for some reason the menorah
cannot be lit by a window, it may be
lit inside the house on a table;
this at least fulfills the mitzvah of
"publicizing the miracle" for the
members of the household

64. The menorah
cannot be
more than 20
Amah high!

65. One cannot fulfill
the Commandment
to light the
Chanukah Menorah
by using an electric
Menorah

66. To publicize
which night of
Chanukah it is,
all eight candles
on the menorah
should be at the
same height --
and preferably in
a straight line.
Otherwise, the
candles may not
be easily
distinguishable
and may appear
like a big torch
The Chanukah
Chair Menorah
by Richard
Wessner
Sterling Silver
$2,100.00

68. lights, the menorah has an
extra helper candle called the
"Shamash." As we are
forbidden to use the
Chanukah lights for any
purpose other than "viewing,"
any benefit is as if it's coming
from the Shamash
In addition to the eight main lights, the menorah has an extra helper
candle called the "Shamash." As we are forbidden to use the
Chanukah lights for any purpose other than "viewing," any benefit is
as if it's coming from the Shamash
The shamash is the candle which is used to light the other candles.
The light of this candle may be used for lighting other candles,
whereas the flame of the other candles may not be used for lighting
other Chanukah candles.

69. Since the Shamash does not count as
one of the eight regular lights, your
menorah should have the Shamash set
apart in some way -- either placed higher
than the other candles, or off to the side

70. While we The reason that the
can look at Chachamim
the prohibited
flames, And benefiting from the
Chanukah lights is
many have a so that it should be
Minhag to sit clear to one and
in front of the all, that they have
been lit for the sake
Menorah of the Mitzvah (to
while it burns spread the
we are not miracle), and not
supposed to for one's own
personal use
use and get (Levush). From the
direct benefit text of 'Haneiros
from them. Halalu'
however, the
This is reason for the
reflected by prohibition would
the last lines appear to be
in Haneiros connected with the
sanctity of the
Halulu.
lights.

71. When the stars appear, the
evening prayers are recited
and is followed immediately
by the lighting of the
Chanukah lights.

72. But many
light the
Menorah
shortly after
sunset , prior
to the evening
prayers

73. But many light the
Menorah shortly after
sunset , prior to the
evening prayers

74. On Friday afternoon, the menorah should be lit 18 minutes before sundown. And since
the menorah needs to burn for 30 minutes into the night, the candles used on Friday
need to be bigger than the regular "colored candles" (which typically don't burn longer
than a half-hour).

75. This can be
compared to
someone who
placed the
Menorah in a
location where
the wind is
bound to blow
out the lamps,
in which case
he is obliged to
re-kindle them.
And in the case
of lighting on
Erev shabbos,
it will not be
possible to
rekindle them
when they
eventually go
out, one will
also have
We usually are Shabbos recited a
candles that burn rather B'rachah
long. This night we are just le'vatoloh (a
moonlighting as Chanukah B'rachah in
ones. vain [See Be'er
Heitev, 673:11]).

76. There are three Brachos which are recited when the Chanukah candles are lit.
•"Baruch ata Ado-nai, Elo-heinu Melech ha'olam, Asher kid'shanu b'mitzvosav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner
shel Chanukah"
•Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His
commandments, and has commanded us to Kindle the Chanukah light.
"Baruch ata Ado-nai, Elo-heinu Melech ha'olam, She'asah nisim la'avoseinu, bayamim ha'hem
baz'man hazeh"
Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the universe, Who has wrought miracles for our
forefathers, in those days at this season.
Recited on the first night only
"Baruch ata Ado-nai, Elo-heinu Melech ha'olam, She'hecheyanu, vekiyemanu vehigi'anu
laz'man hazeh“
Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the universe, Who has kept us alive,
sustained us, and brought us to this season.

78. Israel
The minimum obligation is
that every household should
have one candle burning
every night