Earliest and Latest time to light Chanukah Candles: Difference between revisions

# One shouldn’t delay lighting right after Tzet Hachavim, but if one didn’t light he can light with a bracha until Olot HaShachar. If one is lighting late at night and no one is up, it’s proper to wake some of family up for Pirsume Nisa. If he can’t, he should make a bracha. <ref> In Shabbat 21b the gemara’s first explanation of ‘Tichleh Regel Min HaShuk’(once people leave the market) is ‘if one didn’t light one can still light’. Rambam (Chanuka 4:5) understands this as one who didn’t light at Tzet, can still light until ‘Tichleh Regel’; Rashba (Shabbat 21b) understands this as one who didn’t light by ‘Tichleh Regel’ can still light all night. Magid Mishna, Bahag(Chanuka pg 25d), Sh”t HaGoanim Sharei Teshuva 233, Riaz, Rid, Shiltei Giborim, Smak 280, Mordechai (Shabbat 2:265), Ran, Sefer HaTrumah 228, Tosfot (Shabbat 21b D”H Deiy Lo Adlik, Rosh (Shabbat 2:3), Tur 672, Pri Chadash, Maamer Mordechai  672:4, Sh”t Sadeh Aretz O”C 35 D”H VaAni, hold like the Rambam that after ‘Tichle Regel there’s no mitzvah. Meiri, Ritva, and Orchot Chaim(Chanuka 15) say to light after then without a bracha. However Ravyah 3:843, Hagot Maimon (Chanuka 4:2), Machsor Vitri (236 pg 199), Rabbenu Yerucham 9:1, Siddur Rashi 316 pg 151, Teshuvat Rashi 52, Pardes HaGadol 199, Sh”t Maseh HaGoanim 52 pg 43, Tosfot (Shabbat 21b D”H Deiy Lo Adlik) in name of the Ri, Sefer Trumah 228 in name of Ri, Shibolei HaLeket 185 in name of Sefer Hatrumah, Ohel Moed (Chanuka 4), Teshuvat Ravyah 972, Rosh 2:3, Smak, Rabbene Yerucham 9:1,Meiri, Smag, Orchot Chaim in name of some Geonim and Sefer Hatrumah, and Ran bring the opinion of the Ri and Rashba. Rabben Peretz (on Smak 280) says to light while household members are awake. Ritva says nowadays when we light inside we can light after ‘Tichle Regel’ against the Tur who says this time applies even nowadays. [Darkei Moshe and Bach write that the Tur also agrees to the Tosfot but just was writing according to the Minhag of his place.] Rama 672:2 rules nowadays one doesn’t need light by Tichleh Regel but one should be careful to light by then. S”A 672:2 rules one should light by Tichleh Regel but if one wasn’t able to light should light until Olot HaShachar. Magan Avraham says that S”A seems to say one can make a bracha but says from Bet Yosef (who asks on the Tur why he says that Rambam would hold not to light after Tichle Regel since one could just light out of Safek even according to Rambam) implies that there’s a clear Safek whether to make a bracha and one doesn’t make a bracha in Safek. Thus Magan Avraham rules that one should only make a bracha if there’s someone else up in the house. So holds Eliyah Raba, 672:3, Chaye Adam 154:19, Derech Hachaim 672:2, Ben Ish Chai Vayeshev 7, Aruch HaShulchan 672:7, Mishna Brurah 672:11, and Kaf Hachaim 672:26. Magan Avraham also quotes Maharshal who says to make a bracha only up to Chatzot. The Gra (Maaseh Rav 236) agrees with the Maharshal. Some hold that one can make the bracha all night like the simple reading of S”A (based on a Sefak Sefeka or other explanations) including Erech Hashulchan 672:4, Chemed Moshe 672:3, Moed Kol Chai 27:27, and Rav Moshe Feinstein in Igrot Moshe O”C 4:105. Mishna Brurah (Shaare Tzion 672:17), Rav Ovadyah in Kol Sinai 5725, and Torat HaMoadim 4:4, rule that one shouldn’t make a bracha but shouldn’t stop someone who wants to make the bracha as he has what to rely on. Yet Rav Ovadyah in Chazon Ovadyah pg 67 (Chanuka pg 64; published 5767) writes it in this language: if one comes home late and everyone is sleeping if one can wake up one or two house members, ‘Mah Tov’(that’s correct), if one can’t wake anyone up then one can still make a bracha. It seems that Rav Ovadyah Yosef retracted from his ruling in 5725. [The same language that it’s Tov to have people up for the lighting is found in Beyomin DeChanuka 242 and Shalmei Moed pg 218 in name of Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach] </ref>

# Someone who came home right before Olot HaShachar can light with a bracha even though it won’t be lit for 30 minutes during the night. Some say one should light without a bracha if there’s not 30 minutes for the candle to be light at night. <ref> Sh”t Shevet Halevi 8:156 writes that one can light with a bracha even if there’s not 30 minutes for the candles to burn before Olot Hashachar. He proves this from the simple language of S”A, Magan Avraham and Mishna Brurah (and all other poskim) that one can light all night until Olot HaShachar. So writes Sh”t Rivovot Efraim 5:582 in name of Sh”t Shem MeShimon 3 pg 120. Chazon Ovadiah (Chanuka pg 67) seems to agree because he quotes the Shevet HaLevi and no one who argues. Yalkut Yosef Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 672:2. However, Rav Elyashiv in Sefer Chanuka 13:13 and Torat HaYoledet 54:7 say not to light with a bracha unless there’s 30 minutes before Olot HaShachar. </ref>

# One who didn’t light at night (before Olot HaShachar) can’t light during the day, but if one wants, one can light without a bracha. <ref> S”A 672:2. Siddur Rashi 116 pg 151 (quoting Teshuvat Rabbenu Yitzchak Bar Yehuda) says if one didn’t light during the night one can’t light during the day. So quotes Sh”t Maaseh Goenim 55 pg 43, Teshuvat Rashi 52, Machsor Vitri 237 pg 201, Sh”t Maharam MeRotenberg 634, Pardes HaGadol 199, Tur 672, Shibolei HaLeket 185, and Roke’ach 226. Ravyah 3:843 in name of Rabbenu Tam says one can light in the day if one didn’t light at night. Sh”t Hitorerut Teshuva 1:119 writes that since we light nowadays indoors one should light as long as the candle gives off light (before Netz, when the sun’s light overwhelms the candles light). However, Rav Ovadyah in Kol Sinai (kislev 5725) and Torat HaMoadim 4:5 argue that even though one should light to satisfy all opinions one isn’t allowed to make a bracha. </ref>