Halacha for Thursday 28 Kislev 5782 December 2 2021

A Guest On Motza’ei Shabbat Chanukah

Question: If one is staying as a guest at one’s parents’ or in-laws’ home for Shabbat Chanukah, where should one light Chanukah candles on Motza’ei Shabbat?

Answer: Regarding a married individual who is staying as a guest at his father’s home, according to the Sephardic custom that only the head of the household lights Chanukah candles, the son (and his family) will have fulfilled his obligation with his father’s lighting, for the son is staying as a guest and eating at his father’s table. According to the Ashkenazi custom, every member of the household lights Chanukah candles regardless.

Our question is, on Motza’ei Shabbat, whether according to the Sephardic or Ashkenazi custom, where should the son light Chanukah candles? Should he light in his father’s home (or fulfill his obligation with his father’s lighting according to the Sephardic custom) where he has stayed and ate until Motza’ei Shabbat or should he light in his own home when he arrives later on during the night since he intends to sleep there?

The fundamental question here is: Is the determining factor regarding the place one must light Chanukah candles where one eats or where one sleeps?

Hagaon Harav Yaakov Kamenetzky zt”l writes in his Sefer Emet Le’Yaakov (Chapter 677): “One who stays as a guest in the home of one’s father-in-law or someone else during Shabbat Chanukah and plans on returning home on Motza’ei Shabbat must light Chanukah candles in the home where one was a guest on Shabbat, for this is considered one’s home until one leaves it.”

This means that since this individual lodges and eats in the home of his hosts, there house becomes his and one must therefore light Chanukah candles in their home as opposed to in one’s own home at a later hour. Hagaon Harav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l rules likewise in his Halichot Shlomo (page 279).

Nevertheless, Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt”l (in his Chazon Ovadia-Chanukah, page 155) quotes the words of one of the great earlier Acharonim, Rabbeinu Yosef Katz (head of the rabbinical court in Cracow, brother-in-law of the Rama and close confidant of the Maharshal) in his Responsa She’erit Yosef (Chapter 73), as follows: “If one is eating a meal at a friend’s home and the time to light Chanukah candles arrives, it would seem that the primary obligation to light Chanukah candles is not determined by the place one is eating, even if one is eating a meal of a settled character. Rather, it is determined based on the place one sleeps.” Maran zt”l quotes several other Poskim who discuss this matter and continues to support this view. Maran therefore concludes that if one is staying at another’s home during Shabbat Chanukah, one must light Chanukah candles in one’s own home on Motza’ei Shabbat Chanukah, even if one returns home very late and one must not rely on the lighting being performed in the host’s home.

8 Halachot Most Popular

Parashat Ki Tetze

Gathered from the teachings of Maran Rebbeinu Ovadia Yosef ztzvk”l (from the years 5744-5772) (written by his grandson HaRav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a) (translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds UK) Ellul is the Time to Engage in Battle Against the Yetzer Hara, ......

Read Halacha

Eating and Washing Oneself on Yom Kippur

Regarding the custom of Kapparot, we have discussed in the past that this custom may be fulfilled through money. A bill is taken ($10, $20, etc.) and circled around the head of the atoned party three times, and the following text is recited: “This money is in your stead, your substitute, and y......

Read Halacha

Eating Cake on Shabbat Morning

Today's Halacha is dedicated for the merit and protection of All Our Dear Soldiers May Hashem give them strength and courage to vanquish our enemies and may they return home safe and sound amid health and joy. May Hashem protect all the captives and have mercy upon them so that no harm befalls......

Read Halacha

The Laws of Blood Found in Eggs

Blood in Eggs Blood found in eggs is forbidden for consumption, for this blood indicates the beginning of the embryotic development of the chick and this chick has the halachic status of “fowl” whose blood is forbidden for consumption by Torah law; thus, the opinion of the Rosh and Tosa......

Read Halacha


 The “Shehecheyanu” Blessing

Our Sages teach us (Eruvin 40b) that one should recite the “Shehecheyanu” blessing upon seeing a new fruit that renews once a year. Even if one sees this fruit in the hands of another person or on the tree, one should recite the “Shehecheyanu” blessing. Nevertheless, the P......

Read Halacha

Parashat Terumah

From HaGaon Rav Zevadia HaCohen Shlit”a, The Head of the Batei Din in Tel Aviv (translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds UK) The Difference Between Moshe and Betzalel [Understanding Why Betzalel Was Able to Make the Menorah, Whilst Moshe Couldn’t] This Sh......

Read Halacha

The Holiday of Sukkot

The Gemara (Sukkah 11b) explains that the Mitzvah of Sukkah is in commemoration of the clouds of glory that surrounded our ancestors when they left Egypt. The Gemara (Ta’anit 9a) states: “Three great leaders arose for the Jewish nation: Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam. Hashem gave the Jewis......

Read Halacha

So that We May Refrain from the Injustice of Our Hands

During the Ne’ilah prayer, the prayer that culminates all the Days of Awe recited towards the conclusion of Yom Kippur, we state: “And You, Hashem our G-d, have given us this Yom Kippur etc. for pardon, forgiveness, and atonement so that we may refrain from the injustice of our hands and......

Read Halacha