1)The ideal time to light the Chanukah Menorah is between "sunset" and the time that people are no longer in the street.(Talmud Shabbos 21b)
The Rishonim debate what "sunset" in this case means, as the setting of the sun is divided into 3 time periods. The three times [for lighting the Menorah] are:
a) As soon as the sun begins setting, though it is still very light outside. (Opinion of the Rambam, Mordechai, Rav Hai Gaon)
b) The beginning of the sun's actual setting, when it is starting to get dark already [approximately 20-40 minutes after "sunset"] (Opinion of the Rashba, Ran, Meiri, Ritva[though the Ritva allows lighting at the earlier time of sunset as well])
c) The end of Sunset, which is referred to as "Tzais HaKochavim- when three stars are visible in the sky". (Opinion of Tosefos, Manhig, The Rosh, Tur, Terumas HaDeshen)
2) There are many different opinions amongst the Poskim as far as which of the above opinions is best to follow.
Many people [especially in America] follow the minhag of Rav Moshe Feinstein Zatzal who lit the Menorah approximately 10 minutes after Sunset. (Based on the Opinion of the Gaon of Vilna in Biur HaGr"a Orach Chaim Siman 672. There is a contradictory Biur HaGr"a in Yoreh Deah Siman 266:17 who seems to say that the best time to light is at "Tzeis Hakochavim- when the stars appear" which is definitely later than 10 minutes after sunset. See Sefer Moadim U'Zmanim from Rav Moshe Sternbuch Shlita , Vol. 2 Siman 154 how he deals with this apparent contradiction). This is also the minhag of Maran HaRav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv Shlita.
Many people [especially in Eretz Yisroel] follow the minhag of the Chazon Ish Zatzal to wait an additional 10 minutes, and light only 20 minutes after sunset. This was also the Minhag of the Steipler Zatzal.
The Minhag of Rav Ahron Kotler Zatzal was to light 25-30 minutes after sunset.
Many people follow various other minhagim, and each person should adopt the custom of their own family, or consult a Rav if no custom is in place.
Even those who follow the Gr"a and light at the earliest time, should make sure there is enough oil (or the candles be long enough) to burn until a half hour past "Tzeis HaKochavim" (Psak of Rav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita, quoted in Sefer Yemei Halel V'Hoda'ah)
QUESTION & ANSWER CORNER
Reader Submitted Questions of interest on topics related to Halachos we covered, as well as other interesting topic and Answers.
These Q&A are taken from the Q & A pages on the Halacha For Today website.
Although the answers I give to questions are taken directly from the Sifrei HaPoskim, and aren't my own, they are still for study purposes only, NOT for Psak Halacha.
Questions can be emailed to HalachaForToday@Gmail.com
Reader's Question:
Can someone use a meat thermometer on Shabbos (the kind that pokes into the meat and gives the internal meat temperature) if it is not a digital read-out?
Answer:
No, it is prohibited to measure on Shabbos for purposes other than healing or for a Mitzvah.
Also, there may also be an issue of heating up the liquid in the thermometer when it is inserted into the hot meat.
CHIZUK CORNER
This section is dedicated L'Ilui Nishmos the Telzer Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Chaim Yaakov Stein Zatzal and the Mir Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Noson Tzvi Finkel Zatzal. May we all strive to follow in their ways and may they both be Melitzei Yosher for all of Klal Yisroel.
We will B'Ezras Hashem post here each day a short inspirational thought to help us all improve our lives and grow in our service of our Father in heaven, HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL FOR THIS SECTION, PLEASE EMAIL IT TO HalachaForToday@Gmail.com
THANK YOU AND תזכו למצות!
זכר צדיקים וקדושים לברכה
We don't have to travel to be happy. We don't have to go outside the country. In your own house, teach your family the blessing that Hashem is giving us.
If we come home on Shabbos and the sun is shining, remark: "How sweet is the light, what a pleasure is the sunshine!" Sunlight means happiness.
Every minute, new sunlight is being delivered to the earth and that sunlight and gives us our food and our energy and shouldn't we thank Hashem all day long?
Teach your children to be happy with sunlight. Do you know what a gift that is? But the greatest of gifts is that these phenomena teach us knowledge about Hashem.
- HaRav Avigdor Miller Zatzal -
WWW.SIMCHASHACHAIM.COM
THE DAVENING CORNER - Part II
This segment was compiled by Moshe Weiss, S. Weiss, and E. Willner of Brooklyn, NY.
For those of you who missed the original segments, please e-mail mw@mosheweiss.com.
GENERAL RULE: Emphasis (shown here by bold and italics) is usually on the last syllable. Look for a vertical line in (most) siddurim if the emphasis is on a different syllable.
WEEK TWO:
Be careful not to interchange letters such as fay and vais. Lifnay and livnay are two distinct words. Lifnay chisei chevodecha (in Asher Yatzar) means before or in front of your throne. Livnay Yisra-ale means to the children ofYisra-ale.
The same thing applies to zayin and samech. In Shemoneh-Esrei the correct pronunciation is "Vezocher chasday avos", not chazday avos. Although in this case you are not saying a different word, you are saying nonsense.
Important Numbers
