The brachos and the lighting of the Chanukah lecht can be done relatively quickly, but some spend a half-hour looking at the Chanukah lecht. We elaborate on that custom here to express its importance and benefits.
The Chavas Ya’ir ('ב ב"תרע חיים מקור הגהות) writes, “In my opinion, the essential part of the mitzvah is that the one who lit the lecht should stay near the lecht for a half hour and look at them and be happy with them.”
The Yeitav Panim writes, “The minhag in Klal Yisrael is to sit and gaze at the candles. This draws down the miracles of Chanukah.”
The Yismach Yisrael zt’l said that those who have pure eyes could see Hashem’s name ה“הוי shining on the Chanukah lecht.
It states (Bamidbar 21:8), על אותו ושים שרף לך עשה וחי אותו וראה הנשוך כל והיה נס. This pasuk hints at the brachos of Chanukah. שרף is a hint at the brachah, חנוכה נר להדליק, because שרף means to burn. נס על אותו ושים is the brachah ניסים שעשה לאבותינו. And וחי hints to שהחיינו. Literally, the pasuk means, “Make a snake, place it on a staff, and whoever was bitten will see it and live.” For Chanukah, we can explain that if someone was bitten by the snake, the yetzer hara, the solution is to gaze at the Chanukah lecht, וחי אותו וראה, and he will become like a new person.
The Divrei Chaim zt'l compares this to a doctor who can diagnose and treat illnesses by looking into his patients' eyes. Similarly, by looking at the Chanukah lecht, one can attain a refuah for all ailments of his neshamah.
We say, לראותם אלא בהם להשתמש רשות לנו ואין. The Divrei Chaim translates these words as, “We don’t have permission to use the lecht, only by looking at them." This means that to look at the Chanukah lecht is to use them. They are a vehicle to help us reach spiritual purity and growth.
The Beis Avraham (רק ה"ד 'ד נר) says that אלא בלבד לראותם implies that looking at Chanukah lecht is a refuah and rectification for sins related to guarding the eyes.
Some people recite Tehillim chapter 91 during this half-hour. The Sefer Zechirah (69:1) writes, “A segulah that helps to be protected the entire year is to say seven times (Tehillim 91) עליון בסתר יושב, each night of Chanukah after lighting the candles."
Some say chapter ט"קי in Tehillim because it is full of requests for success in Torah and mitzvos.
Special Time for Tefillah
In general, it is a good time for tefillah because whenever one performs a mitzvah, it is a good time for tefillah. As is brought in Tosefta (Maasar Sheni 5:15), “When one performs a mitzvah, it is an ideal time to daven to Hashem.”
Rabbeinu b’Chaya (19:3) writes, “When a woman lights the Shabbos candles, she should daven that she merit children talmidei chachamim, who shine in Torah because tefillos are more accepted after performing a mitzvah."
