Chapter Overview
This final chapter of Hilchot Megillah v’Chanukah focuses on the practical mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah candles:
- How many candles to light
- The levels of beautifying the mitzvah
- The proper time and place for lighting
- Who fulfills the obligation
- Publicizing the miracle (pirsumei nisa)
- The priority of Chanukah candles versus other mitzvot
The Rambam concludes with a famous lesson about the supreme importance of peace in the home.
Halachah 1 – Three Levels of the Mitzvah
The Rambam describes three levels:
Basic Mitzvah
One candle per household each night.
Whether the household contains:
- One person
- Many people
the minimum obligation is one candle.
Mehadrin
One candle for each household member.
Mehadrin Min HaMehadrin
A candle for each household member, with the number increasing each night.
Halachah 2 – Example of Mehadrin Min HaMehadrin
If ten people live in a house:
| Night | Candles |
| 1 | 10 |
| 2 | 20 |
| 3 | 30 |
| 8 | 80 |
This is the Rambam’s understanding of the highest level of beautification.
Halachah 3 – The Spanish Practice
The Rambam notes that the common custom in Spain differed.
Each household lights:
- One candle on the first night
- Two on the second
- Three on the third
up to:
- Eight on the eighth night
regardless of household size.
This became the widely accepted practice today.
Halachah 4 – Multiple Wicks and Lamps
A lamp with two spouts can serve two people.
A bowl of oil surrounded by many wicks:
- Counts as many candles if separated properly.
- If not separated, it resembles a bonfire and does not count even as one Chanukah candle.
Halachah 5 – Proper Time for Lighting
Candles should be lit:
At sunset.
One should neither:
- Light earlier,
- Nor delay unnecessarily.
If one missed sunset, he may still light until:
“the foot leaves the marketplace.”
The Rambam estimates roughly:
half an hour or slightly more.
Halachah 6 – Required Burning Time
Enough oil must be placed in the lamp so it burns until the marketplace empties.
If the candle:
- Was properly lit,
- Then went out,
it need not be relit.
After the required time has passed, one may extinguish the candle.
Halachah 7 – Any Oils and Wicks May Be Used
Unlike Shabbat candles:
All oils and all wicks are valid for Chanukah.
Even materials unsuitable for Shabbat may be used.
Why?
Because one is forbidden to use the light of Chanukah candles for personal benefit.
Halachah 8 – No Personal Use of the Light
One may not use Chanukah candles even for small tasks such as:
- Counting money
- Examining coins
Their purpose is solely to publicize the miracle.
Halachah 9 – Placement of the Candles
The ideal location is:
- Outside the entrance to one’s house,
- Within a tefach of the doorway.
They are placed:
- On the left side of the entrance,
so that:
- Mezuzah is on the right,
- Chanukah candle is on the left.
The person is thus surrounded by mitzvot.
Halachah 10 – Upper Floors and Visibility
Someone living upstairs places the candles:
- In a window facing the public domain.
A Chanukah candle placed above twenty cubits is invalid because people do not readily notice it.
Halachah 11 – Times of Danger
When public observance creates danger:
The candles are lit indoors.
Even placing them on the table is sufficient.
This preserves the mitzvah while protecting life.
Halachah 12 – The Shamash
A separate candle should normally be available for ordinary use.
If a fireplace already provides light, another candle may not be necessary.
However, a distinguished person who would not use the fireplace must still have an additional light source.
This is the basis of the shamash.
Halachah 13 – Who May Light
A valid Chanukah candle must be lit by someone obligated in the mitzvah.
If lit by:
- A minor
- A mentally incompetent person
- A non-Jew
the obligation is not fulfilled.
The candle must be lit in its actual location.
Moving a burning candle afterward does not fulfill the mitzvah.
Halachah 14 – Lighting Is the Mitzvah
The Rambam states a foundational principle:
Hadlakah oseh mitzvah — the act of lighting creates the mitzvah.
Proof:
A lamp already burning all day must be extinguished and relit for Chanukah.
The mitzvah lies in the act of lighting, not merely in having a burning lamp.
Halachah 15 – Courtyards With Multiple Entrances
A courtyard with entrances on different sides requires lights at both entrances.
This prevents passersby from incorrectly assuming no Chanukah candles were lit.
Halachah 16 – Guests and Travelers
A guest whose family lights on his behalf at home generally fulfills the obligation.
If no one lights for him:
- He joins financially with the host’s oil.
If he has a separate residence, additional lighting may be required because of public appearance.
Halachah 17 – The Precious Nature of the Mitzvah
The Rambam writes:
“The mitzvah of Chanukah lights is exceedingly beloved.”
A person should be especially careful with it to:
- Publicize the miracle.
- Praise God.
- Thank Him for His wonders.
Even a poor person who survives on charity:
- Must borrow money,
- Or sell clothing,
to obtain oil and candles.
Halachah 18 – Chanukah Candle vs. Kiddush
If one can afford only one:
- Chanukah candle
- or Kiddush wine
the Chanukah candle comes first.
Both are rabbinic obligations, but Chanukah lighting publicizes the miracle.
Halachah 19 – Chanukah Candle vs. Shabbat Candle
If one can afford only one:
- Shabbat candle
- or Chanukah candle
the Shabbat candle takes priority.
Likewise, the Shabbat candle takes precedence over Kiddush wine.
Why?
Because of shalom bayit (peace in the home).
The Rambam’s Famous Conclusion
The Rambam ends with one of the most beautiful statements in Mishneh Torah:
“Great is peace, for the entire Torah was given to bring peace to the world.”
As Proverbs states:
“Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.”
Thus, despite the importance of publicizing the Chanukah miracle, maintaining harmony within the home comes first.