Sun. Nov. 21, Parshat Vayeshev
Y"Y, 670:
During the second Bet Hamikdash the Greeks enacted harsh and evil decrees against us Jews. Among other things they did not allow us to study Torah, and they defiled the Bet Hamikdash. Ultimately Hashem had mercy on us and the Hasmonean family overcame the Greeks in battle on Kislev 25. When the Jews went back to the Bet Hamikdash they only found enough oil to last for one day. Hashem in his kindness performed a miracle and it lasted eight days until they got new oil. To commemorate this we celebrate Hanukah.
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Mon. Nov. 22, Parshat Vayeshev
Y"Y, 620:
Women have a custom not to do melacha, for example sewing, for the first half hour that the candles are lit. This is to make sure everyone knows that the light of the candles may not be used. Cooking and things that need to be done to eat may be done. Some women have a custom not to do any melacha the whole eight days, however that is not a good custom and it should be annulled because idleness leads to all kinds of bad things. It is okay however, for women to refrain from doing heavy work (as defined in halacha) on the first and last days.
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Mon. Nov. 22, Parshat Vayeshev
Y"Y, 620:
Women have a custom not to do melacha, for example sowing, for the first half hour that the candles are lit. This is to make sure everyone knows that the light of the candles may not be used. Cooking and things that need to be done to eat may be done. Some women have a custom not to do any melacha the whole eight days, however that is not a good custom and it should be annulled because idleness leads to all kinds of bad things. It is okay however, for women to refrain from doing heavy work (as defined in Halacha) on the first and last days.
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Wed. Nov. 24, Parshat Vayeshev
Y"Y, 671:
According to the strict halacha one only needs to light one Hanukah candle per household per night, however we go above and beyond our requirement, and we light one light the first night and then we increase by one every night thereafter. Even if there are many people in one’s household, one need not light more. If one has exactly enough oil to light in this manner (adding a light daily), and he doesn't have any extra, and his friend doesn't have any oil at all, he should give his friend some of his oil, and they should both light only one candle per night.
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Thurs. Nov. 25, Parshat Vayeshev
Y"Y, 671:
If a person made a mistake and lit extra candles (for example, on the second night he lit three candles), he does not need to relight, since he already fulfilled his hiyuv. If he did relight and he made a blessing, it's a beracha levatala. If he lit just one candle on any night after the first due to a lack of oil (which is okay according to the strict halacha) and then he got more oil, he can add to the candles to have the proper amount, but again it should be without a blessing.
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Fri. Nov. 26, Parshat Vayeshev
Y"Y, 671:
A round candelabra with branches coming out of the stem and forming a circle around the stem may be used as a menorah as long as there is a fingerbreadth between each branch. Ideally the Hanukkah lights should be put into something, and not just placed on the table without putting them in the Hanukia. If someone is traveling and he has nothing to put them in, he may put them on a table (or any other surface). If one gets a menorah from a non-Jew it does not need to be immersed in a mikveh, because we only tovel utensils to be used for food.
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Sun. Nov. 28, Parshat Miketz
Y"Y, 670:
One should try to have the flame of the Menorah lights be more than 3 tefachim (9.4 inches) from the floor of the house, but still within ten tefachim (31.4) from the floor. If they are above or below this, one is still yatza. One should not light a menorah whose flame is more than twenty amot off the ground (30.82 ft.). If one did light it anyways, he's not yatza, and he needs to do it over again in a fitting place. However, no blessing should be made the second time.
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Mon. Nov. 29, Parshat Miketz
Y"Y, 471:
The ideal place to put the menorah is on the left side of the doorway, opposite the Mezuzah. The reason
is so that we'll be surrounded with Mitzvot. The proper time to light starts at "tzet hakochavim" which is about a quarter hour after shekia, and continues for a half hour. One must put in enough oil (or have big enough candles) to last for that long. if one didn't light then he may light all the way until the first light of the morning, with a blessing.
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Tues. Nov. 30, Parshat Miketz
Y"Y, 672:
It is forbidden to eat a meal before lighting the Hanukia-even if one has already prayed Minha and Arvit. A meal is defined as sitting down to eat more than a kebetza (54 grams/ 1.9 oz.) of bread or mezonot. Less than that amount of bread/mezonot or any amount of fruits or drinks is permitted. Snacks are also permitted. Women are also included in this prohibition, but if someone will be lighting for her, there is room to be lenient.
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Wed. Dec. 1, Parshat Miketz
Y"Y, 672:
Just as one cannot start a meal before lighting the Hannukia, so too it's forbidden to start any work or study (even of Torah) before lighting. People who learn in yeshiva/kollel all day may take a break from their studies to light the menorah only if they have a set learning schedule afterward, otherwise they are not permitted to stop their studies and they should light later instead. If one missed a night there is no making it up, he just continues the next night with the proper number.
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Thurs. Dec. 2, Hanukah 1
Y"Y, 681:
One should say "Ve'al Hanisim" as opposed to just saying "al Hanisim." If one forgot to say the entire Al Hanisim prayer and he remembered at the end of the blessing before saying the name of Hashem, he should stop where he is and say "umodim anahnu lach, al hanisim ve'al hapurkan..., " and finish the whole thing, and then continue with ve'al kulam." If he remembers after saying Hashem's name, he should not go back. Rather, if he wants he may mention the above text at the end of Elokai Netzor. G-d willing tomorrow we'll discuss birkat hamazon.
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Fri. Dec. 3, Hanukah 2
Y"Y, 682:
We also insert Al Hanisim in birkat Hamazon. We put it in right before "al hakol anahnu modim lach." If one forgot to say it, as long as he has not said Hashem's name at the end of the Beracha he should go back and say it in its proper place, and then continue with the rest of the blessing. If he completely forgot to say it, it's good to do so in the harhamans. He should say "harahaman hu ya'ase imanu nisim venifla'ot, kemo she'asa la'avotenu bayamim hahem..." and then continue with Al Hanisim.
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Mon. Dec. 6, Hanukah 5
Y"Y, 675:
If one hasn't lit yet, he doesn't plan to light that night, and no one will be lighting for him, he should make the Hanukia berachot when he sees a lit Hanukia. On the first night he should say the blessings She'asa nisim, and Shehehiyanu. On subsequent nights he should only say She'asa nisim. One may only do this during the first half hour after tzet hakochavim, after that he may not say the blessing(s). If one only has one or two of the aforementioned conditions, but not all three he should not say the blessing, no matter if it's within the time or after.
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Tues. Dec. 7, Hanukah 6
Y"Y, 677:
If one has oil left over in his menorah he should not use the oil for his own personal needs, rather it should be burned because once it's used for a mitzvah, it's considered "muktza" for everything else. If the oil gets mixed with regular oil, that hasn't been used for a mitzvah, it may be used only if there is a ratio of at least 60:1. If at the time one fills the cups of oil he stipulates that he wants to use any extra oil, he may do so -even if it goes out within a half hour after lighting.
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Wed. Dec. 8, Hanukah 7
Y"Y, 677:
If one set aside a jar of oil to use for lighting the Hanukia, and after Hanukah there is left over oil in the jar, it may be used for personal things even he did not stipulate. The reason is because of the rule that "designating something doesn't mean anything." The same halacha applies on Sukkot, where Hacham Ovadia writes that it's permissible to decorate ones Sukkah with decorations used by non-Jews on their holidays.
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