One who is eating out one night of Chanukah:[1]
The above only applies if one eats and sleeps in different areas on a steady basis. If, however, one eats and sleeps on a steady basis in the same home and just happens to be eating out on one of the nights of Chanukah, then he must return home to his family to light [prior to the continuing the meal[2]], and cannot light where he is eating.[3] [The same applies if he will be eating elsewhere for all eight days/nights of Chanukah, but will return home to sleep, that he is to return home to light, being that he does not eat in the other place on a steady basis.[4] Accordingly, those who are eating out during one of the nights of Chanukah are to first light the candles at home prior to going to the meal. Those who choose to light the candles in the area of the meal are making a mistake.[5] In the event that one traveled from far, and cannot go back home before the meal, he must appoint a Shomer to allow him to eat, and he may then continue the meal and light candles after returning home.[6]]
If one is eating out and his wife remained home:[7] If one is eating out on one of the nights of Chanukah but his wife remained home, he can have his wife light for him at his home, if he desires to remain eating by his friend and not return home to light. [Thus, those who go to a men’s only Chanukah party/meal, may remain by the meal and have their wives light on their behalf.] Nevertheless, it is best for him to return home and personally light the candles, rather than rely on his wife.[8]
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Summary of A-B: If one eats and sleeps on a steady basis in two different homes, he is to light in the home that he eats. If, however, there will be greater Pirsumei Nissa to his family in the area that he sleeps, then he is to light there. If one is eating away from home for one night of Chanukah, he must return home to light.
Q&A If a family is eating out by another family on one of the nights of Chanukah [i.e. went to a relative for a Chanukah meal], where is he to light candles, by his area of eating or upon his return home? From some Poskim[9] it appears that he may choose to light candles in his current area, where his family is eating.[10] However, from other Poskim[11] it is implied that he must return home to light. [Practically, he should go back home with all, or at least some, of his family members, and light at home prior to continuing the meal.[12] If he plans to sleep at home, but his family will remain to eat and sleep by the host, then he is to light candles specifically by the meal.[13] In the event that one traveled from far, and cannot go back home before the meal, he must appoint a Shomer to allow him to eat, and he may then continue the meal and light candles after returning home.[14]] If one who lives alone [no wife and children] is eating out by a friend on one of the nights of Chanukah, where is he to light candles, by his area of eating or upon his return home? This follows the same dispute[15], and ruling, of the previous Q&A, and he is thus to return home prior to the meal in order to light, or appoint a Shomer to remind him, in which case he may light after the meal, upon returning home.
If one eats at home, but will be sleeping in another area for one of the nights of Chanukah, where is he to light the candles?[16] If one will be sleeping in another home during Chanukah, but will continue to eat at home [such as one who plans to sleep over a friend’s house after dinner] then he is to light at home. If, however, he will be eating and sleeping there, then see next. If one will be eating and sleeping in another home for one of the nights of Chanukah, where is he to light candles?[17] Ø Example: One will be staying with his family for Chanukah by his parents or parent’s in-law, who live nearby. Where is he to light candles? He is to light the candles in the area that he will be eating and sleeping that night [i.e. by his parents/parent’s in-law]. This applies even if he is staying near his home, and returns home on occasion, nevertheless he is to light the candles in the current area where he is eating and sleeping.[18] This applies even if he will not be staying in their home for all eight days of Chanukah.[19] [When staying as a guest in another person’s home, then whether he is obligated to light his own candles is subject to the laws explained in Halacha 3 regarding guests. As explained there, the Ashkenazi custom is for men to always light their own candles and not be Yotzei with their host, or wife who is lighting at home. In all cases, if he left family members at home, they must light their own candles and are not Yotzei with the lighting he performs away from home. See Halacha 3!] If a guest is eating by one host and sleeping by another, where is he to light candles? He is to light in the area that he is eating.[20] However, some Poskim[21] rule that if the two areas of eating and sleeping are a distance from each other, then he should light in the area that he will be sleeping. |
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[1] M”A 677:7; Taz 677:2; Kneses Hagedola 677; Bach 677; Elya Raba 677:3; M”B 677:12; Kaf Hachaim 677:21; Minchas Yitzchak 7:48; ; Igros Moshe Yoreh Deah 3:14-5; Piskeiy Teshuvos 677:4
[2] See Halacha 6 that it is forbidden to eat or continue a meal, do work, or even learn Torah, until the candles are lit.
[3] The reason: As although today there is no Chashad towards the public if he lights by his friend’s house, as they assume one lights inside his house, there is Chashad towards his family, who does not see him lighting at home. [Bach ibid; Kaf Hachaim ibid; See Igros Moshe Yoreh Deah 3:14-5] Alternatively, the reason is because the entire Mitzvah of lighting is to take place in one’s home, thus creating the entire law of a guest explained in Halacha 3, and being that one does not eat here on a steady basis, it is not considered his home, and he thus may not light there. Lighting by the meal would be similar to one who is lighting the candles in middle of the street, which of course has no relevance to the Mitzvah. [Taz ibid]
[4] Implication of Peri Chadash 677; Kaf Hachaim 677:15; Piskeiy Teshuvos 677 footnote 21 and 24
[5] Taz ibid
[6] See Halacha 6 in Q&A
[7] Poskim ibid
[8] The reason: As Mitzvah Bo Yoser Mibeshlucho. [M”A ibid]
[9] Implication of Bach ibid and so learns Kinyan Torah 5:72 in Taz and M”A ibid; See Peri Chadash 677; Biur Halacha 677:1 “Bemikom Sheochel”; Kaf Hachaim 677:17; See Minchas Yitzchak 7:48; Igros Moshe Yoreh Deah 3:14-5; Piskeiy Teshuvos 677:4 footnote 25 and 29-30; Az Nidvaru 7:69; Nitei Gavriel 11:5 footnote 6
[10] The reason: As the entire objection of the Bach ibid against lighting by his temporary meal area is simply due to Chashad of one’s family, who has remained home. However, here, that one’s family is with him and sees that he lit the candles, there is no Chashad is applicable. Accordingly, there is no obligation for one to light candles in his actual home, but simply that he light candles somewhere where Chashad is not relevant. Alternatively, one can say that when one eats in a new area, then that area becomes his temporary home, and he is able to light candles there. Vetzaruch Iyun!
[11] Possible way of learning Taz 677:2 and M”A 677:7 [Taz ibid implies that the entire Mitzvah of lighting is to light in one’s home, and being that one does not eat here on a steady basis, it is not considered his home, and he thus may not light there. In his words “Lighting by the meal would be similar to one who is lighting the candles in middle of the street, which of course has no relevance to the Mitzvah.”]; Possible implication of Peri Chadash 677; Biur Halacha 677:1 “Bemikom Sheochel”; Kaf Hachaim 677:17 that only when one is eating and sleeping elsewhere with his family may one light elsewhere; Igros Moshe Yoreh Deah 3:14-5 due to Chashad by one’s home; Nitei Gavriel 11:4; See Piskeiy Teshuvos ibid who leans to rule like this understanding, although, in truth, it is possible to understand the Taz to only be referring to a case that one left his family at home, in which case Chazal established the lighting to be done at home. If, however, he is with his family elsewhere, then he may light where they are. Vetzaruch Iyun!
[12] Minchas Yitzchak ibid; Piskeiy Teshuvos ibid
[13] Minchas Yitzchak ibid; Piskeiy Teshuvos ibid
[14] See Halacha 6 in Q&A
[15] The reason: As the entire objection of the Bach ibid against lighting by his temporary meal area is simply due to Chashad of one’s family, who has remained home. However, here, that one has no family at home, there is no Chashad is applicable. Accordingly, there is no obligation for one to light candles in his actual home, but simply that he light candles somewhere where Chashad is not relevant. However, according to the Taz ibid, there is an actual obligation to light in one’s home, and an area of temporary meal is not one’s home.
[16] See Az Nidbaru 7:69; Piskeiy Teshuvos 677/4-2
[17] So rule regarding if one’s family will be eating and sleeping for all eight days of Chanukah in another home, such as to the home of his father or father in-law: Peri Chadash 677; Biur Halacha 677:1 “Bemikom Sheochel”; Kaf Hachaim 677:17; The same applies even if he will only be eating and sleeping elsewhere for one night: Taz 677:2; Chovas Hador 1:12; Piskeiy Teshuvos 677/4-3
[18] The reason: If his family is with him by the
[19] Taz 677:2 that even if he is staying away for one night, this is the law of Achsanaiy; Chovas Hador 1:12; Piskeiy Teshuvos 677/4-3
[20] Rama 677:1 and Taz 677:2 that we follow the eating area versus the sleeping area; M”B 677:11
The reason: As there are more people found in the area of eating and it hence contains greater Pirsumei Nissa.
[21] Ateres Zekeinim 677:1
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