1,414. Who is Obligated in Lighting Chanukah Candles

Hilchos Megillah v’Chanukah 3:4

Anyone who is obligated in reading the Megillah is also obligated in lighting the Chanukah lights. On the first night of Chanukah, one who lights the menorah recites three brachos: (1) that Hashem has commanded us to light the Chanukah lights; (2) that He performed miracles for our ancestors at this time of year and (3) that He has given us life and sustained us to reach this occasion. If one who did not recite brachos (because he didn’t light) sees another person’s menorah, he should recite the latter two brachos. On the subsequent nights of Chanukah, one who lights the menorah recites just the first two brachos and one who sees a menorah recites one bracha (she’asa nisim, that God performed miracles). This is because the third bracha, Shehechiyanu, is only recited on the first night of Chanukah.

Hilchos Megillah v’Chanukah 3:5

On each of the eight days of Chanukah, Hallel is recited in its entirety (as opposed to the abridged “half-Hallel”). Before Hallel, one recites the bracha that God has commanded us to read Hallel. This applies equally to an individual and a congregation. Even though reciting Hallel is a rabbinic mitzvah, we recite a bracha that God has “sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us…,” just as we do when reading the Megillah and making an eiruv, because a bracha is also recited over any obligation that was instituted by the Sages because of a definite situation. However, if the Sages instituted an obligation because of a doubt, such as taking tithes from doubtfully-tithed produce, then a bracha is not recited. The exception to this is that we do recite a bracha for the second day of a yom tov even though it was instituted because of doubt; this is so that people should not treat the second day of yom tov disrespectfully.