The Duration of Chanukah Candles

How long must the Chanukah candles remain lit?

The Gemara (Shabbos 21b) states that the candles are lit at sundown and should remain burning until no one is left in the marketplace. Rambam (Hil. Chanukah 4:5) identifies that time to be a half hour after nightfall. What is the halacha nowadays, when people tend to be outside far longer than half an hour after nightfall? Must the candles remain lit for that entire time?

Rav Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav, infers a response to this question from the language of the Rambam, who writes: “At what time are people no longer present in the marketplace? Half an hour or more.” The phrase “or more” implies that if people remain outdoors until later, the candles must burn for that entire period of time. (See, however Biur Halachah 672:1 s.v. Lo me’acharin who appears to understand the Rambam differently.) This is the opinion of the Ritva (Shabbos 21b) as well.

However, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (cited in the B’Yitzchok Yikarei commentary to Mishnah Berura) and Rav Elyashiv (Peninei Chanukah pp. 156-165) held that there is no obligation for the candles to remain lit beyond a half hour after nightfall, even if people are outdoors later at night. Nevertheless, it is preferable to light candles for the entire time people are outside to publicize the miracle. Along similar lines, Rav Chaim Kanievsky writes that the Chazon Ish would extinguish the candles after half an hour passed. The first night, however, he would leave them burning for longer (Ner Chanukah, p.15 note 17).

The above dispute applies to one who lights outside, since the candles publicize the miracle to people passing by. However, when candles are lit indoors and the miracle is publicized primarily for the members of his household, all agree that the candles need burn for only a half hour after nightfall (Ner Chanukah, ibid.).

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.