We have seen that the mehadrin is to light one per person, and the mehadrin min hamehadrin add one candle each night. According to the Rambam, the higher level of mehadrin also includes the lower level, and in addition to lighting a candle for each member of the household, we add another candle each night. As the Rambam spells out, if there are 10 members of the household, on the first night 10 candles are lit, and then 20, until they reach 80 on the last night.
Tosfos, however, maintains that the higher level of mehadrin does not include the lower level, and only one menorah is lit for the entire family. According to Tosfos, on the first night, only one candle is lit, even if there are many members of the household, and then two, until they reach eight on the last night.
DID THE RAMA FOLLOW THE RAMBAM?
How do we pasken? Usually, the Sefardim follow the Rambam, and the Ashkenazim follow Tosfos. But interestingly, here the Rama – and the Ashkenazim – follows the Rambam, and in addition to lighting a candle for each member of the household, we add another candle each night. However, if we take a closer look, we will see that there is a fundamental difference between the Rambam and the Rama.
The Rambam writes that the mitzvah of mehadrin min hamehadrin is for one person to light for all the people in the house. If there are 10 members of the family, the head of the house will light 10 candles and add 10 each night until he lights 80 candles on the last night. The Rama, on the other hand, writes that each person in the house lights his own menorah, and if there are 10 people in the house, each person lights his own menorah, starting with one candle and going up to eight.
The Beis Halevi wonders about this. If the Rama is following the Rambam, who rules that mehadrin min hamehadrin means that the head of the house lights all of the candles, why did the Rama rule that each person lights his own candles?
THE BRISKER RAV’S ANSWER
The Brisker Rav explains that although the Rama was following the Rambam, he did change this point because there is another machlokes about how to perform a hiddur mitzvah, as we find in regard to the hiddur of bris milah.
The Gemara in Shabbos (133b) states that once the mohel finished cutting the foreskin, he does not go back to cut the extra pieces of skin that are only cut as a hiddur. Rashi and the Tur understand that this Gemara is only referring to Shabbos. Since there is chillul Shabbos involved, we can only cut this skin while doing the mitzvah. Once the mitzvah is over, going back to cut again would be a separate desecration of the Shabbos, which is not allowed. According to this, during the week one could go back and cut the extra skin to enhance the milah.
The Rama follows the ruling of the Tur and allows going back and cutting more of the milah during the week.
The Rambam, on the other hand, explains that even during the week, we do not go back and cut the extra skin, since it is only a hiddur. This is because the Rambam holds that the hiddur must be done together with the mitzvah itself. Once the mitzvah is done, it is too late to enhance it.
Thus, we have a fundamental machlokes of whether it is possible to enhance a mitzvah after the mitzvah was performed. According to Rashi and the Tur, the hiddur can be done afterward as well, and that is why it is beneficial to cut more during the weekday, but not on Shabbos, which involves chillul Shabbos. But the Rambam holds that the hiddur must be done together with the mitzvah itself, and there is no reason to go back even during the week because that would not be considered enhancing the previous mitzvah.
Based on this understanding, the Brisker Rav explains the machlokes between the Rambam and the Rama in regard to ner Chanukah. According to the Rambam, the hiddur must be a part and parcel of the mitzvah, so the baal habayis must do all the candle lighting, thereby enhancing the mitzvah.
But the Rama holds that the hiddur can be done even after the mitzvah was finished. It is therefore possible for each person to enhance the mitzvah, even after the baal habayis has finished lighting.
SUMMARY
There is a machlokes between the Rambam and the Rama. According to the Rambam, one person lights for all the people in the house, and according to the Rama, each person in the house lights his own menorah. This is based on the machlokes of whether one can add a hiddur even after the mitzvah was done.
RABBI NACHUM SCHEINER
