תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: מִצְוַת חֲנוּכָּה, נֵר אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ.
The Sages taught: The basic daily mitzva of Hanukkah is to have one light kindled by one person for one entire household.
The basic requirement of Channukah is a flame, a person, and a house. A house has an inside and an outside, and the Channukiah relates to both of them.
אָמַר רַבָּה: נֵר חֲנוּכָּה מִצְוָה לְהַנִּיחָהּ בְּטֶפַח הַסָּמוּךְ לַפֶּתַח.
Rabba said: It is a mitzva to place the Hanukkah lamp within a handbreadth of the entrance of the house.
The ideal place to place the Channukia is by the door, just outside of the house but not too far from it. The next best is the windowsill, facing inwards and outwards. There's a message that the Channukiah projects. But what exactly is it? And who is the intended audience?
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: נֵר חֲנוּכָּה מִצְוָה לְהַנִּיחָהּ עַל פֶּתַח בֵּיתוֹ מִבַּחוּץ. אִם הָיָה דָּר בַּעֲלִיָּיה — מַנִּיחָהּ בַּחַלּוֹן הַסְּמוּכָה לִרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים. וּבִשְׁעַת הַסַּכָּנָה — מַנִּיחָהּ עַל שֻׁלְחָנוֹ וְדַיּוֹ.
The Sages taught: It is a mitzva to place the Hanukkah lamp at the entrance to one’s house on the outside. If one lives upstairs, they place it at the window. And in a time of danger, they place it on the table and that is sufficient.
For centuries, there was a possibility that showing a Channukiah in public could cause anger and violence. In many places, it is still the default to light the candles indoors. Was it a show of Jewish identity in public that was dangerous? Or Jewish pride? Still, despite allowing for the possibility of hiding inside, the laws of Channukah push people to face the possible danger and go outside.
מִצְוָתָהּ מִשֶּׁתִּשְׁקַע הַחַמָּה עַד שֶׁתִּכְלֶה רֶגֶל מִן הַשּׁוּק... עַד שֶׁתִּכְלֶה רֶגֶל מִן הַשּׁוּק. וְעַד כַּמָּה? אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר בַּר חָנָה אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: עַד דְּכָלְיָא רִיגְלָא דְתַרְמוֹדָאֵי.
The mitzva of kindling the Hanukkah lights is from sunset until traffic in the marketplace ceases... Until when exactly is this time? Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Until the traffic of the people of Tadmor [tarmoda’ei] ceases.
If everybody is at home lighting candles, who is watching them? The Other. There are people coming home from work, their mind absorbed with the Everyday. There are non-Jews, who never heard of the Channukah story. There's an interaction going on between those showing the lights and those watching them, played out through the Channukiah.
נֵר חֲנוּכָּה עֲדִיף, מִשּׁוּם פַּרְסוֹמֵי נִיסָּא.
The Chanukkah lamp takes precedence over other commandments due to publicity of the miracle.
What exactly was the miracle, and why is it so important to publicise it? There's the small story, of a little jar of oil that miraculously lasted for eight days. There's the military tale, of a small band of Jews taking on the mighty Greeks and winning back their Temple. And there's an identity story too, of a campaign to have Jews abandon their ritual practices, and the Jewish fight to remain distinctive and unique. Which one is being played out here by lighting the Channukiah in the public realm?
(א) מִזְמ֡וֹר שִׁיר־חֲנֻכַּ֖ת הַבַּ֣יִת לְדָוִֽד (ב) אֲרוֹמִמְךָ֣ יי כִּ֣י דִלִּיתָ֑נִי וְלֹא־שִׂמַּ֖חְתָּ אֹיְבַ֣י לִֽי (ג) יי אֱלֹקָ֑י שִׁוַּ֥עְתִּי אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ וַתִּרְפָּאֵֽנִי (ד) יי הֶֽעֱלִ֣יתָ מִן־שְׁא֣וֹל נַפְשִׁ֑י חִ֝יִּיתַ֗נִי מיורדי־[מִיָּֽרְדִי־] בֽוֹר
A psalm of David. A song for the dedication (Channukah) of the House. I extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, and not let my enemies rejoice over me. O LORD, my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me. O LORD, You brought me up from Sheol, preserved me from going down into the Pit.
King David writes a psalm of thankfulness for being healthy, for having recovered from some sickness. So why is it titled "a dedication (Channukah) of the House?" It can't refer to the Temple, which wasn't built yet. Some commentators say that 'house' refers to his body: his recovery from the mysterious sickness was also called Channukah.
אָמַר רָבָא: מִילֵּא קְעָרָה שֶׁמֶן וְהִקִּיפָהּ פְּתִילוֹת. כָּפָה עָלֶיהָ כְּלִי עוֹלָה לְכַמָּה בְּנֵי אָדָם. לֹא כָּפָה עָלֶיהָ כְּלִי עֲשָׂאָהּ כְּמִין מְדוּרָה, וַאֲפִילּוּ לְאֶחָד נָמֵי אֵינָהּ עוֹלָה.
If the Channukiah appears like a type of bonfire, it is not considered to have fulfilled anybody's obligation of lighting a Chanukkah light.
Each flame has to have a distinct identity. Even though the light of a bonfire is stronger, the distinctiveness of the smaller flames is more important. The flames have to be in a straight line, not too close together nor too far apart; to be appreciated as individuals.
אָמַר רַב שֵׁשֶׁת: אַכְסְנַאי חַיָּיב בְּנֵר חֲנוּכָּה. אָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא: מֵרֵישׁ כִּי הֲוֵינָא בֵּי רַב, מִשְׁתַּתַּפְנָא בִּפְרִיטֵי בַּהֲדֵי אוּשְׁפִּיזָא. בָּתַר דִּנְסֵיבִי אִיתְּתָא, אָמֵינָא: הַשְׁתָּא וַדַּאי לָא צְרִיכְנָא, דְּקָא מַדְלְקִי עֲלַי בְּגוֹ בֵּיתַאי.
Rabbi Zeira said: At first, when I was in the house of my teacher, I would participate in the costs of his Channukah lights. After I married my wife, I said: Now I certainly need not do so because they light on my behalf in my house.
ומדליקין ומברכין [בבית הכנסת] משום פרסומי ניסא
We kindle and recite the benedictions in the synagogue for the sake of publicising the miracle.
We need "a flame, a house, a person." But the house also means a household, a community of people who see themselves as united. In this case, they share the obligation and one Channukiah is enough. A household can be a family, a group of friends, lovers; they can be in one place or spread out; a metaphysical bond turns them into one unit.
