Siman 671 – The order and the placement of the light / The Shul’s Menorah

וChelek 6

8. We must be very careful to fulfill the lighting of the Chanuka lamps. Even the poorest people must see to it, (if the gabbay tzedoka does not provide) to acquire at least one candle per night. The reward for lighting is that you will have talmiday chachomim for sons. (ShA 1 – MB 1, 3 – BeH “va’afiloo”)

9. On the first night light one lamp. Add one lamp per night until the last night when you will light eight. (ShA 2)

10. Each member of the household (except for the wife) lights their own separate set of lamps. Be careful to spread each set out so as to be able to discern how many lamps are being lit. (Rama 2)

11. A menorah with eight holes can be used by two people – each on an end leaving a gap in between. (MB 12)

12. Technically you are allowed to light in a zig-zag, however it is best to light the lamps all in a straight line. (MB 15)

13. You can light Chanuka lamps in a circular candelabra as long as each branch is a finger’s breadth away from another. (Rama 4 – MB 18)

14. When using wax candles for Chanuka, Shabbos or Yom Tov, be sure not to stand them so close that they heat each other up, bend over and fall. You will not fulfill the mitzva this way. (BeH “afiloo”)

15. Stand the Chanuka lamps at your entrance next to the public street. Whether the entrance is that of your house or that of your courtyard. (ShA 5)

16. If you live in an upper storey and you do not have a private entrance, rather you go up through the lower level – light in a window facing the street. (ShA 5 – MB 23)

17. If the window is higher than 20 amos above the ground level passers-by will not notice the menorah. It is better to put it in an inner doorway (see below ShA 7). (ShaH 42)

18. If you live in a time of danger and are not allowed to fulfill mitzvos, just place the menorah inside on the table. Now you will need an additional source of lights so people will know that the Chanuka lights are only for the mitzva. (ShA 5 – MB 24, 25)

19. Lechatchila, the menorah should be from 3 tefachim until (not including) 10 tefachim off the ground even when lighting indoors. (ShA 6 –MB 27)

20. If it is possible to show the menorah lit to people passing in the street only by placing it in a high window (10 tefachim or more), the above halacha does not apply. (MB 27)

21. If the flames of the menorah are above 20 amos from the floor you didn’t fulfil the mitzva. (Compare measuring 3 tefachim and 10 tefachim.) (ShaH 33)

22. The mitzva is to place the menorah within a tefach of the doorway opposite the mezuza. If there is no mezuza, place it on the right side of the doorway. (ShA 7)

23. Even when lighting inside, you should light on the left hand side of the inner doorway. This being only when it is not possible to show the lights to people passing by your window. (Rama 7 – MB 38)

24. When many people are lighting in the inner doorway make sure not to jumble all of the menorah is too close – rather spread out each to his own place. (Rama 7)

25. The menorah in shul should be placed high on the southern wall. Two minhagim emerged based on an argument how the menorah was set up in the Bais Hamikdash:
    1. Set them up from east to west.
    2. Set them up from north to south. (ShA 7, MB 27, 42)

26. Stand behind the menorah facing north (according to the first minhag above), say the berachos, and light (filling the menorah from right to left but lighting) from left to right. (MB 43)

27. No one fulfils his mitzva with the menorah in the shul. Even the chazzan who lit them must say the berachos again at home. (Rama 7 – MB 45)

28. If the chazzan says Shehecheyanu in shul and does not need to be motzi anyone at his own home, he shouldn’t repeat Shehecheyanu. (MB 45)

29. If the chazzan at Mincha erev Chanuka is an ovail, he should have someone else light because it isn’t proper for him to say the Shehecheyanu in public. On any other day of Chanuka, an ovail can be the chazzan for Mincha and Maariv and light the nairos. (MB 44)

30. On the 15 of Av, 15 of Shevat, and Lag B’omer, since there is no Hallel, an ovail can be the chazzan for Shacharis as well. (MB 44)

31. Since Chol Hamoed is like a Yom Tov an ovail should not be the chazzan even for Mincha and Maariv. (MB 44)

32. The minhag is to light the menorah in the shul between Mincha and Maariv. (Rama 7)

33. On erev Shabbos, if people are late to shul and Mincha is delayed – light before Mincha. (MB 47)

34. If you can arrange a minyan for lighting, great. If it isn’t easy, go ahead and light the menorah with the berachos without a minyan. (BeH “v’yaish”)

35. The person who begins to light the menorah should finish all of the lamps himself. If something urgent comes up after the first lamp, someone else can light the remaining lamps. (MB 48, 49)