![]() (Courtesy of Community Scholar Elana Stein Hain) Therefore one who lives alone in an apartment may still recite a blessing upon lighting the Menorah, even if the candles will not be visible to anyone else, inside or outside the apartment. Indeed the Mishnah Brurah himself accepts that this is the prevalent custom. However, Rav Moshe Feinstein maintains that even if no one else will see the candles, one should still make a bracha. If no one else will see the lights, one should light without reciting a bracha. Question: I live by myself and no one will see my Menorah - should I still recite a blessing on lighting Chanukah candles?Īnswer: The Mishnah Brurah (472, 11) writes that if one arrives home late at night and has not yet lit the Chanukah candles, he should wake up one or two family members or roommates, because the Mitzvah of Chanukah candles is defined as Pirsumei Nisah - publicizing the miracle - and the lights must be seen by somebody else. If your apartment faces, for example, the River or Central Park and your menorah is therefore not clearly visible then you should not light by the window. Note that this is true only if your Menorah is actually clearly visible to an apartment, eg across the street. The Shevet HaLevi (Rav Shmuel HaLevi Wosner of Bnei Brak) however maintains that if there are apartment buildings opposite your own, such that your Menorah can clearly be seen by a neighbour then you may still light by the window. The preferable place would be light the menorah on a table next to the front door of the apartment, ensuring that it is safe to do so. Many halachic authorities rule that one who lives on a high floor in an apartment building should therefore not light the menorah by the window, because a person standing on the street will not be able to see the candles. Where is the best place to light the Menorah?Īnswer: The halacha is that one is not supposed to place the chanukah candles higher than 20 amot (approximately 35 feet) above the ground. Question: I live on a high floor in my apartment building.
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