Rov Presents Halachos for a Covid-Era Chanukah

Harav Gedalia Oberlander presents all the laws of Chanukah you need to know during this pandemic – including halachos for outdoor minyanim, remotely-attended public menorah lightings and for those suffering from the virus r”l.

Harav Gedalia Oberlander, Rav of Heichal Menachem in Monsey, presents laws of Chanukah pertaining specifically to those affected by Covid-19.

For the complete hilchos Chanukah digest, click here.

One who is ill or is in the hospital and cannot light the menorah:
If his wife lights at home, he is yotze with her lighting. If he has no wife, he may appoint someone to light his Menorah in his house and thus he will be yotze.

If there is a possibility that he can light the candles for a short while, there are some opinion that suggest that he light the menorah without a bracha and then he could extinguish them.

One who is quarantined in a hotel in a foreign country, hence he has no home, and due to hotel restrictions can’t light a menorah, should use a flashlight with a regular bulb (not fluorescent or LED) and leave it on for half an hour.

In addition, if possible, he should light a candle for a short while as
stated above 95:3. According to some poskim he may be permitted to recite a bracha. The above is relevant if he is staying there with or without his family.

One who is ill and cannot get off his bed to light the menorah may appoint someone else to light the menorah. If he sees the lighting from his bed he may say the bracha. However, if from his bed he cannot see the lighting – he should light the menorah next to his bed, but the menorah should not be
moved.

Someone who is ill but he is not in a critical situation may make use of the light of the menorah.

A Corona minyan which is taking place outdoors, may light the menorah between Minchah and Maariv with a bracha like in a regular shul.

A shliach who (generally) lights a public menorah with a bracha, and this year will have a small crowd (as the rest will be on zoom etc.), and will therefore have less than a minyan present should light without a bracha. However, if there are at least ten people present, even if they are sitting in their cars, he may light with a bracha.

Click here for the halachos in Hebrew.