Guide to Chanuka in the Hospital: Shining Light on Night Shift

Introduction

The basic mitzvah of Nerot Chanuka involves lighting one candle per household each night of Chanuka to commemorate the miracle of oil (Shabbos 21b). Adding extra candles, increasing nightly to match the days of Chanuka, and each male lighting his own menorah are widely accepted chumra (meritorious custom) and are the most common practice. Women are equally obligated to light Chanuka candles or have them lit on their behalf. Traditionally, the husband or father lights the candles when lighting in a household family context. The ideal time for lighting Chanuka candles is as close to Shkia (halachic sunset), ensuring they burn for at least 30 minutes after Tzeis Hakochavim (halachic night). The Shulchan Aruch (672) specifies that the candles should be lit for a minimum of 30 minutes post-lighting, after which, while it is not ideal, the candles may be extinguished. For healthcare workers, patient care may take precedence over this timing. We will discuss the best way of performing the mitzvah of Nerot Chanuka when one's schedule deviates from this previously described ideal.

Coming Home From Shift Late

As we have discussed, the ideal time to light Nerot Chanuka is at Shkia(zmanim). The Gemara notes that the halachikly acceptable timing extends from Shkia to "until the marketplace empties," a time frame discussed and contested in the primary and later commentaries(Shabbos 21b). Medical professionals, even on the day shift, will often come home much later than Shkia. However, the R'i (Tosefos ad locum) rules that the mitzvah of Nerot Chanuka was instituted primarily to celebrate for and with one's household members, and as long as one's household is awake, one can still light and say the relevant berachot. The Rama agrees with the extended view of the timing of this ruling, adding that, ideally, one should still burn as close to Shkia as possible. The Magen Avraham rules one may light until alot HaShachar if family members or household members are present (Shulchan Aruch 672). If one lives alone, they can still list provided you will stay awake for a half hour.

The Poskim discuss whether it is better to wait till the whole family is together or to have the menorah lit through a surrogate Nerot Chankuka lighter, as will be discussed shortly. The accepted practice is to wait for the father or mother to be present out of respect, provided it will not be so late that there will be no outside foot traffic activity or that some family members will already be asleep, as this would exclude those individuals from being involved in the mitzvah of Nerot Chanuk and the Pirsumei Nisa of the day.

Others Lighting on Your Behalf: Surrogate Lighting

For married individuals, the Gemara (Shabbos 23a) indicates that one's spouse can light on their behalf (Siman 677), even if one is in a different city, such as during an away rotation. If your spouse is Lighting for you, the Ba'er Heitev (Siman 677) suggests listening to the berachot with someone else if possible.

If one is not married but one's roommate is lighting, one should contribute to the cost of lighting to be involved with the mitzvah.

 Suppose one is single, and it is not possible to contribute to the menorah lighting, one should appoint a shliach (messenger) to light in ones house in your stead. While this is debated (see Magen Avraham 676:4, Pri Megadim 678). According to Reb Moshe and Reb Shlomo Zalman, messengers may perform the lighting, reciting 'lehadlik ner Chanuka' but not 'she'as nisim' or 'shehecheyanu' if they have already fulfilled the mitzvah elsewhere.

Lighting in the hospital

The mitzvah of Nerot Chanuka is described in the gemararah as something that applies to 'ish ubeiso' ("a person and their household" Shabbat21b), whereas 'beiso' ( house or household) implies a private space. A call room might be considered such a space. However, issues like fire safety, the need for a 30-minute burn time, and ideally having witnesses for the mitzvah make this option less appropriate than the prior two options ( Rav Asher Weiss rules that if one is alone, while there is a dispute as to whether you can recite the Brachos, you may rely upon the opinions that permit reciting them.)

Electric menorah

While electric incandescent lights are acceptable for Shabbos candles, according to many Poskim, they are not ideal for Nerot Chanuka. The mitzvah requires lighting a flame, reflecting the practice in the Beis Hamikdash (Shoel Umeishiv, Rav Asher Weiss). However, Ran Chacham Ovadia suggests that lighting an electric menorah without a beracha is still preferable to not lighting at all, a view shared by Rav Shechter.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Suppose you won't be home at a reasonable hour. In that case, it is better for the menorah to be lit in your absence for your household either by your spouse or, less ideally, though a shliach ( if one's roommate is lighting, one should contribute to the cost of lighting to be involved with the mitzvah). If that is impossible, one can light at home before dawn, provided you wake up a family member. While not commonly possible, if it is possible to light in a private on-call room already designated for you, that would be preferable, provided you would be with the candles for half an hour, after which one could extinguish them. In that case, it would be ideal if other Jews were present for pirsumei Nisa. For various reasons, lighting with an electric menorah is not ideal, but if all else fails, one can light an incandescent menorah without a bracha.