Siman 673 – Oil and wicks for Chanuka

וChelek 6

49. Do not use orlah oil for Chanuka. (ShaT 1)

50. The best way to do the mitzva is to use olive oil and cotton or linen wicks. If olive oil is not available, use any oil that lights clear and clean. It is a bigger mitzva to use oil rather than candles. ( ShA 1 – MB 2, 4)

51. Bad quality oil and wicks can be used even though the flame does not burn well. (ShA 1)

52. The above is true when lighting Chanuka candles on erev Shabbos as well. Since you aren’t allowed to use the lights – there is no concern that you will come to tilt the lamps for increased light. However, if you add oil to last more than the amount required for the mitzvah – the oil must be of high quality. (ShA 1 – MB 6)

53. The extra lamp (shamash) on Friday night must be of high quality oil. (MB 3)

54. It is forbidden to benefit from the extra lights that are being added each night. (MB 7)

55. This prohibition includes the following activities: eating any seuda (even a seudas mitzva) by their light, counting money, learning Torah…. (ShA 1 – MB 12)

56. It applies even if you are not doing the activity right next to the lamps. (MB 10)

57. There may be room to allow casual learning of Torah by the Chanuka lights. Even so, after the half hour it is better to extinguish the flames and relight them in order to learn. (BeH “v’yaish”)

58. It is likewise forbidden to use the lights of the shul’s Chanuka menorah during the first half hour. This is true even regarding using the light to read Maariv. (MB 13)

59. The custom is to light an additional flame after you finish lighting the mitzvah lamps. It should be placed near the menorah so that if you come to benefit from the light, it will be from the light of this additional flame. This is besides for the separate source of light mentioned above in ShA 671:5. (ShA 1 – MB 14)

60. Do not place this flame in the same line as the mitzva lamps. (MB 16)

61. If you light candles, use the shamash candle that lights the other as this additional flame. It should be longer than the others. (Rama 1)

62. You are allowed to do activities specifically by the light of this additional flame but, lechatchila, you shouldn’t use all of the lights together. (MB 15)

63. If the mitzva lamps go out accidentally before the time limit, (e.g. while trying to fix them) technically you do not have to relight them because you fulfilled the mitzva already when you lit them. (ShA 2 – MB 25)

64. If you lit the lamps in a place that, because of the breeze, they would likely blow out, you must relight but without a beracha. This applies likewise if you lit lamps that did not have enough oil to last a half hour. (MB 25 – ShaH 30)

65. If the oil or wicks are of such bad quality that the flame goes out quickly because it does not catch on well – you certainly do not fulfil your mitzva. (MB 25 – ShaH 31)

66. If the lamps go out on erev Shabbos while it is still daytime you must relight them without a beracha according to the Taz. If you already accepted Shabbos you are allowed to tell your friend to relight your Chanuka lamps for you. (MB 26, 27)

67. The achronim say to be machmir and relight Chanuka lamps without a beracha in any event. (MB 27)

68. Do not remove your hand from the wick after the beracha until most of the wick that comes out of the oil is caught with the flame. (BeH “hadlokah”)

69. It is good for every individual to make as beautiful a menorah as possible. (MB 28)

70. There is no need to use new wicks each night. On the contrary, use them up until they are too short because used wicks light better. (ShA 4 – MB 31)