Q. An elderly single and bed-bound convalescent patient at a retirement nursing home or hospital, who has no possibility of lighting or being present at the lighting of a Menorah. can he make the bracha of Shecheyanu or Sheasa Nisim without lighting the Menorah, as one would do with Shecheyanu on Sukkot, without seating at the Sukka?
A. Shaar Hatzion (on Mishna Berura 672: 3) considers whether one that is not going to light a menorah or see one lit, if he can recite the brocho of shehecheyanu, as one would do on other Yomim Tovim on the first day, and Sheosso Nissim every day, and remains undecided.
Many Poskim, maintain that Chanuka and similarly Purim are different from other Yomim Tovim, in which the kedusha of the day can be recognized by the prohibition of performing melochos. On Chanuka, it is only expressed basically by the lighting of the menorah, therefore, no brocho is recited without complying with this mitzva. (Birkei Yosef 692, T' R' A' Eiger 2: 13, Igros Moshe 1: 190, and others).
Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit'a opinion is similar.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit'a
Important Numbers
