Chloe Adams
The practice of blowing out Hanukkah candles is a topic of debate among Jewish authorities. Hanukkah commemorates the miracle of a small group of Jewish fighters, the Maccabees, reclaiming the Jewish Temple and finding enough sacred oil to light the menorah for eight days instead of one. Lighting candles is a central commandment, or mitzvah, of Hanukkah, and some authorities believe these candles should never be extinguished by humans, only burning out naturally. However, others permit extinguishing candles after a minimum burn time of 30 minutes, to prevent fire hazards, and this ruling is found in the Shulchan Aruch.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Minimum burn time | 30 minutes |
| Extinguishing | Some authorities say it is permissible to blow out Hanukkah candles after 30 minutes, while others say they should not be extinguished at all |
| Lighting time | After sunset, ideally immediately after |
| Number of candles | One candle burning every night per household is the minimum obligation, with an additional candle every night for each night of Hanukkah |
| Candle arrangement | Preferable to have the candles in a straight line, but permitted to have them in a semi-circle as long as each candle is clearly separated |
| Fuel | Candles should contain enough fuel (wax or oil) to burn for at least 30 minutes |
| Custom | Women do not work for at least the first half-hour of the candles' burning, and some do not work for the entire time of burning |
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What You'll Learn
- The minimum time Hanukkah candles should be lit for is 30 minutes
- Some authorities say Hanukkah candles should not be extinguished at all
- If you must go out, it is best to wait and light the candles later
- The Shulchan Aruch permits blowing out candles after 30 minutes
- The Qabbalah implores people to never blow out a candle
The minimum time Hanukkah candles should be lit for is 30 minutes
The tradition of lighting candles during Hanukkah is a central mitzvah, or commandment, commemorating the miracle of the Maccabees reclaiming the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The Maccabees found only one jar of sacred oil to light the menorah, which was expected to burn for a day but lasted eight days. Thus, Hanukkah candles are lit for eight consecutive nights.
Some authorities state that Hanukkah candles should not be extinguished at all and should be allowed to go out naturally. However, according to the Shulchan Aruch, it is permissible to blow out Hanukkah candles after they have burned for at least 30 minutes. This ruling is particularly relevant for those using oil lamps or extra-large candles, as most Hanukkah candles today do not burn much longer than 30 minutes.
If you need to leave before the candles have burned for 30 minutes, it is recommended to wait and light them later. Candles can be lit well past sunset if necessary. However, if you have already lit the candles and cannot stay with them for at least 30 minutes, it is acceptable to blow them out after the minimum time has passed, especially if there is a fire hazard.
If the candles did not burn for the prescribed time, they should be relit so that they can burn for the full duration.
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Some authorities say Hanukkah candles should not be extinguished at all
The central commandment, or mitzvah, of Hanukkah is the lighting of candles. This commemorates the miracle that occurred when the Maccabees reclaimed the Jewish Temple from Greek usurpers and found only one jar of sacred oil to light the menorah, which lasted eight days. As such, it is customary to ensure that Hanukkah candles burn for a minimum of 30 minutes, and some sources say that they should not be extinguished at all.
The Shulchan Aruch, a halakhic (Jewish legal) authority, permits the extinguishing of Hanukkah candles after they have burned for 30 minutes. However, other authorities disagree with this ruling, stating that Hanukkah candles should never be extinguished. Instead, they should be left to burn down on their own. This is in line with the Qabbalah, which implores followers to never blow out a candle.
The preferred course of action, therefore, is to ensure that Hanukkah candles are allowed to burn down naturally. If one needs to go out and cannot wait for the candles to burn down, it is recommended to wait and light the candles later or to light the candles at one's destination. In exceptional circumstances, if the candles have already been lit, they may be extinguished after burning for a minimum of 30 minutes.
It is worth noting that there are differing customs regarding the lighting of the menorah. Some light it at sunset, while others wait about ten minutes or half an hour after sunset. Ideally, one should follow the custom of their father or the local community if the former is unknown or inapplicable.
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If you must go out, it is best to wait and light the candles later
The central commandment, or mitzvah, of Hanukkah is the lighting of candles. This commemorates the miracle of a small band of Jewish fighters, the Maccabees, reclaiming the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and finding only enough sacred oil to light the menorah for a day, which lasted for eight. As such, it is generally considered preferable to let Hanukkah candles burn out naturally.
However, if you must go out, it is best to wait and light the candles later. Leaving lit candles unattended can pose a fire risk, and Jewish principles of pikuach nefesh (saving a life) and bal tashchit (not causing wanton destruction) dictate that one should not create a dangerous situation. If you know you will need to go out, it is better to light your candles when you return. Hanukkah candles can be lit well past sunset, and there is no obligation to light them immediately after.
If you have already lit the candles and need to go out, it is recommended to let them burn for a minimum of 30 minutes before extinguishing them. This duration is based on the idea that the candles should contain enough fuel to burn for at least half an hour, fulfilling the mitzvah. While some authorities say that Hanukkah candles may be extinguished after this minimum duration, others maintain that they should not be blown out at all.
To avoid having to blow out the candles, you can consider using shorter candles or putting less oil in the menorah, so that they burn out naturally before you need to leave. Alternatively, you can appoint an agent to light the candles at the correct time if you know you will be out.
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The Shulchan Aruch permits blowing out candles after 30 minutes
The act of lighting candles is the central mitzvah, or commandment, of Hanukkah. This is because Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of a small group of Jewish fighters, the Maccabees, reclaiming the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. When rededicating the Temple, the Maccabees found only one jar of sacred oil to light the menorah, which was expected to burn for one day but miraculously lasted eight days. This is why Hanukkah candles are lit for eight consecutive nights.
However, leaving lit candles unattended can pose a fire hazard, and Jewish principles of pikuach nefesh (saving a life) and bal tashchit (not causing wanton destruction) advise against creating dangerous situations. The Shulchan Aruch, Judaism's premier law code, permits blowing out Hanukkah candles after they have burned for a minimum of 30 minutes. This ruling is based on the assumption that the candles contain enough fuel (wax or oil) to last for 30 minutes, and it is intended to prevent fire hazards.
According to the Shulchan Aruch, if one places more oil than needed for 30 minutes, the candle may be extinguished after that time. While some halakhic (Jewish legal) authorities do not allow extinguishing Hanukkah candles under any circumstances, the Shulchan Aruch's ruling provides a solution for those who need to leave their homes after lighting the candles.
It is worth noting that the preferred course of action is to let the candles burn down naturally. If possible, it is recommended to light the candles when there is enough time to let them burn completely, or to light them at your destination if you must go out. Additionally, the Shulchan Aruch's ruling primarily applies to those using oil lamps or extra-large Hanukkah candles, as most Hanukkah candles today do not burn much longer than 30 minutes.
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The Qabbalah implores people to never blow out a candle
The Qabbalah, a Jewish mystical tradition, instructs followers to never blow out a candle. This is because there is an angel whose name is the same as the sound produced when one blows out a candle with force. According to Kabbalistic tradition, it is improper to invoke the names of holy angels. Therefore, many people choose to extinguish candles by hand to avoid uttering the name of this angel.
Another explanation for this custom is rooted in the Torah's depiction of the human soul as a "breath" or flame. Blowing out a candle with one's breath could be seen as using one "soul" to extinguish another, an ironic gesture.
The Qabbalah's instruction not to blow out candles is particularly relevant during Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday commemorating the miracle of a small band of Jewish fighters, the Maccabees, who reclaimed the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The Maccabees found only one jar of sacred oil to light the menorah, expected to last for one day but miraculously burning for eight. Hanukkah candles are lit for eight consecutive nights to celebrate this miracle.
Some authorities advise that Hanukkah candles should be allowed to burn out naturally and never be extinguished prematurely. However, others, including the Shulchan Aruch, permit blowing out candles after a minimum burning period of 30 minutes. This duration ensures that the commandment, or mitzvah, of lighting the candles is fulfilled.
While the Qabbalah's instruction to never blow out a candle is clear, the practicality of leaving candles burning can be a concern. In such cases, it is recommended to wait until one has enough time to let the candles burn out naturally or to extinguish them by hand rather than blowing them out.
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Frequently asked questions
It depends on who you ask. Some authorities say Hanukkah candles may be blown out after burning for at least 30 minutes, while others say they should not be extinguished at all.
Lighting candles is the central mitzvah, or commandment, of Hanukkah. This is because Hanukkah celebrates the miracle that a small band of Jewish fighters, called the Maccabees, found enough sacred oil to light the Temple's menorah for eight days, not just one. Therefore, some believe that artificially shortening the candles' burn time undermines the commemorative nature of the lights.
Most sources agree that if you need to leave the house after lighting your Hanukkah candles, you should not leave them burning unattended due to the fire risk. In this case, it is permissible to blow out the candles after they have burned for a minimum of 30 minutes.
If you know you will need to go out, it is best to wait and light your candles later. Candles can be lit well past sunset if necessary. Alternatively, you can light your candles when you have enough time to wait for them to burn out completely.
