Q. In a shul that usually the menorah is placed on the south side and the one lighting the menorah stands in the back of the menorah facing north and begins lighting from the west towards the east.
If for some reason they began this year lighting from east to west, since the one lighting the menorah was facing south, should the now change?
A. Mishna Berura (671: 43) quoting Chassam Soffer (186), rules that indeed the menorah should be placed on the south side of the shul. The one lighting the menorah should stands at the back of the menorah, between the menorah and the southern wall, facing north and he should begin lighting from the west towards the east. The first light is thus at the mizrach, by the Aron Hakodesh.
However, there are some dissenting views that maintain the menorah should be placed next and close to the southern wall without any space in between, while the one lighting faces the southern wall and begins lighting from west towards east (See Piskei Teshuvos 671: 13). Nevertheless, since the minhag of that shul was already to follow the Mishna Berura's opinion, even if the started this year differently, they should return to their minhag.
Divrei Yisroel (ibid.) and Mahari Bruno (39) opine that even congregations that follow the dissenting minhagim, should change to the opinion of the Chassam Sofer, since it is main.
Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit'a opinion is that they should return and set the menorah as they always did, since the minhag of the Chassam Soffer and Mishna Berura is mostly accepted.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit'a
Important Numbers
