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Dec 1, 2010
Which has priority - lighting or watching candles be lit?
I saw in shul today a pile of pamphlets containing a listing of all the gedolim (I don't know how inclusive the list is - I did not even really read the list) and what time, and where, they each light their Chanukah candles.
The purpose is, obviously, to allow the people the ability to go to the gedolim of their choice and watch them light their menorahs.
Personally, I am not a "groupie" of any specific gadol, and going to watch them light candles is not something at the top of my "to do" list. However, I do recognize that other people do enjoy that kind of stuff, and either pick the gadol they want to watch or they make the rounds among various gedolim and watch as many as they can. I recognize the desire to be inspired, even just by watching an important rav light candles.
I do wonder though, as I was glancing at the pamphlet, how this jives with halacha. If you are going after the hassidic rebbes in the list, it should work out ok for the most part. Many of them light later in the evening, so a regular person could light his candles at the proper time and then go to the rebbe of his choice. The litvishe rebbes (I call them "rebbes" because the litvishe community has become very hassidic in style in the past 15 years or so in the way they treat their gedolim and rabbonim) on the other hand all light at the same time the regular people are supposed to be lighting at -eith the sunset minhag or the tzeis minhag. So halachically speaking is it ok to not light on time because you want to drive out to Bnei Braq to watch Rav Steinman or Rav Kanievsky (or whichever other one you prefer) light their candles?
The purpose is, obviously, to allow the people the ability to go to the gedolim of their choice and watch them light their menorahs.
Personally, I am not a "groupie" of any specific gadol, and going to watch them light candles is not something at the top of my "to do" list. However, I do recognize that other people do enjoy that kind of stuff, and either pick the gadol they want to watch or they make the rounds among various gedolim and watch as many as they can. I recognize the desire to be inspired, even just by watching an important rav light candles.
I do wonder though, as I was glancing at the pamphlet, how this jives with halacha. If you are going after the hassidic rebbes in the list, it should work out ok for the most part. Many of them light later in the evening, so a regular person could light his candles at the proper time and then go to the rebbe of his choice. The litvishe rebbes (I call them "rebbes" because the litvishe community has become very hassidic in style in the past 15 years or so in the way they treat their gedolim and rabbonim) on the other hand all light at the same time the regular people are supposed to be lighting at -eith the sunset minhag or the tzeis minhag. So halachically speaking is it ok to not light on time because you want to drive out to Bnei Braq to watch Rav Steinman or Rav Kanievsky (or whichever other one you prefer) light their candles?
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Does it list the Amshinover Rebbe lighting at 3:00 AM?
ReplyDeleteThe Shuk in Amshinov must be open 24 hours.
Well I once heard of a kollel that doesn't close early during Chanukah but instead instructs the wives to light. This sort of turns it on its head: a community supposedly over-zealous for kollel learning being mevatel both learning and mitzvah observance to watch others light....
ReplyDeleteYaak, Not funny. The Amshinover Rebbe has already past scrutiny by the Eidah Haredis.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, lighing late in a big city like Jerusalem (Bayit veGan) is less problematic today than in olden times, as people are up and active at night.
Rafi, this is interesting. The Ramba"m, BTW, doesn't mention watching "gedolim" light, only lighting. But, what does he know? ;-)
He does also mention something interesting which I don't believe too many people know about, nor would follow, nor would have to follow today. If one does not light, one may bless she'asah nissim... upon seeing someone else's Hanukkah lights.