Question:
What is the correct way and manner of saying the brachos for the lighting of the chanuka candles?
Answer:
Many poskim say that one should say all of the Brachos before lighting the candles, while others say that after the first night one should say LeHadlik, light one candle, then say She’asa Nissim and light the rest.
The Gemora (Shabbos 23a) says that on the first night, one should say three Brachos: LeHadlik, She’asa Nissim, and Shehechiyanu. On the remaining nights, one says only two Brachos, leaving out Shehechiyanu. See The Rambam (Chanukah 3:4), Tur, and Shulchan Aruch in siman 676:1 which all codify this as the halocha.
The Maharil (Responsa 145) writes that one should recite all of the Brachos before lighting, in accordance with the principle of Over LeAsiyatan (which is the principle of always reciting the bracha prior to performing the mitzvah). The Rama 676:2, and Mishna Brurah 676:4, aswell as the Kaf HaChaim 676:21 concur with the Maharil.
On the other hand, the Maharam ,based on the Masechet Sofrim, said LeHadlik before lighting, leaving She’asa Nissim and Shehechiyanu for afterwards. Rav Soloveitchik explained that the Masechet Sofrim holds that the Bracha of She’asa Nissim functions as a Birkat HaRoeh and should be made after seeing the candles lit. He notes that in order to satisfy both views, Rav Chaim’s practice was that on all nights besides the first, he would say LeHadlik, light the first candle, say She’asa Nissim, and then light the rest of the candles. On the first night, when this is impossible, he made all three Brachos before lighting. Rabbeinu Yerucham (9:1) quotes a similar idea in the name of Rabbeinu Yonah.
If one forgot to say the Brachos and remembers after he finished lighting before a half hour passed, one should recite “SheAssa Nissim” and “Shehecheyanu”, on the first night, but not “Lehadlik Ner”. If one remembers before one finishes lighting the candles (on the 2nd day and on) one can make all the Brachos then and finish the lighting.
The Shu”t Rabbenu Avraham Ben HaRambam 83 writes that it is forbidden to say the bracha of LeHadlik Neirot Chanukah after one finished lighting Chanukah candles. The Shulchan Gavoha 676:3 writes that if one remembers any time the candles are lit one may still say “SheAssa Nissim” and “Shehecheyanu”, on the first night because he should be no worse that a person who isn’t lighting and just saw the candles so is allowed to say these brachos (Birchat HaRoeh). However, see also the Sefer Pardes (Rabbenu Asher Ben Chaim pg 66) who says one can say it as long as the candles are burning.The Sh”t Halachot Ketanot 1:3 and Yad Aharon (Hagahot Tur 676) say that one can make all the Brachos as long as one didn’t finish lighting all the candles of Hidur.
Rabi Akiva Eiger (Mehudra Tanina 13) writes that if one remembers before one finishes one can make all the Brachos but if one only remembers after he finishes lighting he can’t make Lehadlik Ner just like Birkas HaRoeh(S”A 676:3).The Mishna Brurah 676:4, Ben Ish Chai parshas Vayeshev 10, agree. The Toras HaMoadim 6:9 adds that since we learn the after lighting one can still make the bracha of SheAssa Nisim from Brachos HaRoeh it only applies to the first half hour after one sees the candles as by Brachos HaRoeh.
If one forgot to say Shehecheyanu before lighting one can say it in the half hour after lighting. If one didn’t say it the first night one should say it the second night and so on. So too, if on the eighth night one forgot one can say it in the half hour after lighting. |