Chanukah – Lighting the Candles With Genuine Joy; Lighting With a Wax Candle

Even if one is studying Torah when the time for the Chanukah candle lighting comes, he should stop learning and go light candles, rather than appoint somebody to do it in his stead. The entire purpose of Torah study is to prepare us to serve Hashem, and thus when the time comes to light the Chanukah candles, which is how we are to serve Hashem at that moment, we must do so. Although it is told that Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai used all his time for Torah learning without ever stopping, except for Torah obligations such as Kriat Shema, this practice is reserved for those on his unique level of diligence. Nobody can claim such a stature, and in fact even serious students of Torah routinely interrupt their studies for mundane purposes such as to get a cup of coffee, answer a phone call, and so on. Clearly, then, it would be wholly inappropriate for somebody to suddenly claim that he is too diligent a student to interrupt his studies for an important Mitzvah such as Chanukah candle lighting. One should light the Chanukah candles with genuine emotion and excitement, and not out of routine. We must remind ourselves when we light that the miracle was performed for us, as we would likely not be observant Jews today if the Chanukah miracle had not occurred. We might draw a comparison to the Halacha requiring one to recite a Beracha when arriving at a place where a miracle happened to his father, his grandfather or his Rabbi – "Baruch She’asa Nes Le’abi Ba’makom Ha’zeh" (or "Le’zkeni" or "Le’rabbi"). Since he would not have been born if his father or grandfather had not been saved – and one would not have been taught if his Rabbi had not been saved – he must recognize how the miracle directly affected him. Similarly, our existence as Torah-observant Jews is a direct result of the Chanukah miracle, and thus when we light the candles, we must feel that we give praise and thanks for a miracle that was performed for us. One should gather his entire family for the lighting of the Chanukah candles. It is not proper for one person to light while the rest of the family members are going about their ordinary business. The candle lighting must be a family event. It is preferable to use olive oil for the Chanukah candle lighting, and fortunately, olive oil today is readily available, and one can even purchase a readymade set of cups of oil with wicks for the Chanukah candle lighting. It must be noted, however, that the act of lighting should be done with a wax candle. This is mentioned by Rabbi Haim Hakohen, who was a student of the Arizal. The Arizal explained that when we light the Chanukah candles, we bring 370 lights from the upper worlds down into our world. This is symbolized by the Hebrew word "Sha’ava" (wax), as the first two letters ("Shin" and "Ayin") have a combined numerical value of 370, and the final two letters – "Vav" and "Heh" – which are the final two letters of the Name of "Havaya," represent our world. By using a wax candle to perform the act of lighting, we express the fact that we are bringing 370 lights down into our world. Incidentally, for the same reason the Arizal taught that if somebody is ill, Heaven forbid, or faces some other personal problem, he should light two wax candles next to the Hechal in the synagogue, in order to bring the heavenly blessings upon him.

 By Rabbi Eli Mansour