Where Does a Guest Light Chanuka Candles?: Difference between revisions

# Someone who is a guest at another person’s house on [[Chanukah]], according to Ashkenazim, should light one’s own Chanukia (see footnote for background).<ref>#Rav Sheshet in Gemara [[Shabbat]] 23a states that a guest is obligated to light [[Chanukah]] candles. The Gemara then quotes Rabbi Zeira, who states that when he was a guest he used to contribute a [[prutah]]. After he got married, he no longer contributed a [[prutah]] because his wife lit the [[Chanukah]] lights at home. Accordingly, Shulchan Aruch 677:1 rules that a guest must contribute a [[Measurements#Prutah|prutah]] to the host’s lighting.

*Tur and Shulchan Aruch 677:1 rule that a guest must contribute a [[prutah]] to the host’s lighting. The Darkei Moshe 677:1 quotes the Sefer HaMinhagim (Rabbi Yitzchak Tirna, [[Chanuka]], pg 143, cited by Darkei Moshe 677:1) who says that even nowadays, a guest may fulfill his obligation by giving a [[prutah]] to the host.

*On the other hand, the Mahari Veil 31, also quoted by the Darkei Moshe, argues that since the minhag is that everyone in the house lights his own candles, if the guest doesn’t light on his own, there will be a suspicion that he didn’t light. Sh”t Maharil 145 agrees with the Mahariv. Mishna Brurah 677:3 rules that in order to satisfy the opinion of the Mahariv it is better for a guest to light on his own rather than contribute a [[prutah]] to the host. He adds (677:7) that this would be true even if he has someone lighting for him at home. According to Rav Soloveitchik (cited in Bi’Ikvei Hatzon 20:2) one cannot light as a guest unless one has been there for 8 days because the obligation is to light in one’s own house.

*The Rif ([[Shabbat]] 10a), ([[Chanukah]] 4:11), and Rosh ([[Shabbat]] 2:8) add that if the guest is staying in his own house with a separate doorway he must light by himself and can’t join with the host’s lighting because people seeing his doorway without [[Chanukah]] candles will suspect that he didn’t light. The S”A 677:1 rules that a guest must contribute a [[pruta]] to the host’s lighting and if he sleeps in separate house and eats with the host he should light by the doorway of the separate house. The Rama 677:1 comments that since nowadays we light inside one should light where one eats (meaning, if he eats with the host, he doesn’t have to light by the separate house where he is sleeping).

*The idea of suspicion is based on a later statement of Rav Huna in [[Shabbat]] 23a who says that if one has a house with doorways on two sides of the house one must light in both of them so that people don’t suspect that he didn’t light [[Chanukah]] candles. Rama 671:8 writes that since nowadays we light inside there’s no concern of suspicion and one does not have to light by both doorways. The Rama is accepted by many achronim including Mishna Brurah 671:54 and Yalkut Yosef 671:24.

*The Magen Avraham 677:3 (as explained by the Beiur Halacha s.v. LeAsmo) says that we only strict for the opinion of the Mahariv when the guest eats and sleeps in a separate house.

*Mishna Brurah 677:3 rules that in order to satisfy the opinion of the Mahariv it’s better for a guest to light by himself than to contribute a [[Measurements#Prutah|prutah]] to the host. This is also the opinion of the Nitei Gavriel ([[Chanukah]] 12:6). However, the Kaf HaChaim 677:11 comments that the suspicion introduced by the Mahariv doesn’t apply to Sephardim who don’t have the minhag that everyone in the house lights. The Aruch HaShulchan 677:2 also questions this stringency.

*Mishna Brurah 677:16 presents a minority opinion in the achronim that if one's wife already lit at home, he shouldn’t recite a bracha. Therefore, he says one should listen to someone else recite the [[brachot]] and then light.</ref>

# Some say that one may not light at a person’s house unless he stays there for all eight days of [[Chanukah]]. If one stays there for less time, he should give the host a [[prutah]] to fulfill his obligation. However, some say that as long as one stays there one ‘day’ one may light there.<ref> Beiur Halacha 677:1 s.v. BeMakom quotes the Pri [[Chadash]] 677:1 who says a guest and his whole family who stay at someone else’s home for all eight days of [[Chanukah]] should light at the place they are staying. Rabbi Hershel Schachter (oral communication, Halachipedia Article 5772 #4, B'ikvei Hatzon chapter 20 footnote 2) holds one must remain there all eight days in order to have some connection to that house to allow him to light there. When one stays for a shorter period, one should fulfill his obligation by giving a [[prutah]] to the host. Rav Elyashiv (Piskei Shemuot p. 134) holds that he needs to be there for at least 4 days of Chanuka to establish his residence there. Similarly, Rav Dovid Feinstein (Vdibarta Bam v. 2 p. 397) holds that if he stays for a few days he can light there. However, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Halichot Shlomo 14:18, 19) rules that if a guest stays at a person’s house for one day, he may light at that house. For example, if a person sleeps and eats at a house for [[Shabbat]] he can light there Friday afternoon. Chazon Ish (Shevut Yitzchak pg 110), Rav Vosner (Kovetz MeBet Levi Kislev 5757), Rav Shternbuch (Teshuvot V’Hanhagot 1:391), and Rav Navinsal (BYitzchak Yikra 677 Biur Halacha Bmakom) agree. This is also the opinion of Halachos of Chanukah by Rabbi Eider p. 38.</ref> Some say that everyone agrees if he's visiting someone in another town from his own, he is considered a guest to light there if he's there for one day according to everyone.<ref>Rav Dovid Feinstein (Vdibarta Bam v. 2 p. 397) writes that if he's a guest in another town then everyone agrees he's considered a guest even if he's there for one day. Since he's away from his house he establishes his residence at his host's house. Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky (Kovetz Halachot p. 193) agrees. Rav Dovid clarified that out of the city for this purpose is any trip that takes a real effort to get there. </ref>

# If a person (and his family if he's married) is staying over at his parents (or in-laws or the like) for Shabbat, according to most poskim, he can light there on Friday afternoon.<ref> Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Halichot Shlomo 14:18, 19) rules that if a guest stays at a person’s house for one day, he may light at that house. For example, if a person sleeps and eats at a house for [[Shabbat]] he can light there Friday afternoon. Chazon Ish (Shevut Yitzchak pg 110), Rav Vosner (Kovetz MeBet Levi Kislev 5757), Rav Shternbuch (Teshuvot V’Hanhagot 1:391), and Rav Navinsal (BYitzchak Yikra 677 Biur Halacha Bmakom) agree.</ref> According to some poskim he should join with the lighting of his parents by giving them a prutah.<ref>Rabbi Hershel Schachter (oral communication, Halachipedia Article 5772 #4, B'ikvei Hatzon chapter 20 footnote 2) holds one must remain there all eight days in order to have some connection to that house to allow him to light there. When one stays for a shorter period, one should fulfill his obligation by giving a [[prutah]] to the host.</ref> According to Sephardim if he is staying at his in-laws or parents he should fulfill his obligation with the lighting of his parents or in-laws and not light himself. It is preferable to give them a prutah to join with them. <ref>Torat Hamoadim 3:11, Yalkut Yosef 677:10 (English edition). Yalkut Yosef (5773 edition, 677:10-11) writes that someone staying at their parents or in-laws should not light themselves. Even though some say that if they have their own room they can light themselves, that isn't the case nowadays. The only reason to require lighting if someone has a private room is because of the concern that others will suspect him of not lighting candles. Nowadays we don't light for that concern because people light inside. Even if a person wanted to light in their private room or have intention not to fulfill their mitzvah with the lighting of their parents or in-laws they may not light with a bracha.</ref>

 

# If a person is staying home for Shabbat and is just eating the Friday night meal somewhere else, he should light at home before Shabbat (after Plag Mincha) so that the candles stay lit for a half hour after Tzet Hakochavim. He should not light at the host's house.<ref> Leket Yosher p. 152b, Magen Avraham 677:7, Taz 677:2, Mishna Brurah 677:12, Kaf Hachaim 677:21, Yalkut Yosef 672:11, Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky (Kovetz Halachot p. 193). Rashba (responsa 1:542) writes that if there's a choice to light at the place where he eats or sleeps, he should light where he eats. Rama 677:1 codifies Rashba. Taz clarifies that Rashba is referring to a case where he regularly eats in one place and sleeps in another. In that case, he should light where he eats. However, if he is going to sleep at home and one time is eating a meal somewhere else, obviously he must light at home and not where he's eating because his home is his primary residence. If he were to light in the host's house it is like he light in the middle of the street and he doesn't fulfill his obligation. However, Rabbi Moshe Levi (Tefillah L'moshe 2:50) argues with Taz and writes that it is acceptable to light even not in one's house. He writes that in this case it is impossible to join with a pruta since he's not a guest for a long enough amount of time, but he can light himself where he's eating dinner and he should do that.    </ref>

# An unmarried yeshiva bachur who is invited out Friday night can join in the lighting of his host if he's there when they're lighting, even though he's going to go back to the dorms to sleep that night.<ref>Orchot Chanuka p. 186 quotes Rav Shlomo Zalman that an unmarried yeshiva bachur eating out Friday night can join with the lighting of the house he's eating at if he's there when they light. This isn't similar to Magen Avraham 677:7 who writes that one cannot join a host if he's just eating there one meal. In that case, his home is his primary residence, but a yeshiva bachur doesn't really live in the dorm. So when he's away for the Friday night meal he can join in their lighting.</ref>