How should a soldier at war in Gaza fulfill the mitzva of ner Chanuka?
Chazal instituted the mitzva of ner Chanuka as an obligation on each family or “home.” An unmarried soldier away from home can, if he wants, rely on his father’s hadlaka at home, and that is the minhag of the Sefardim. Ashkenazim, however, have the custom that each person lights on their own, and he should light where he is.
With a married soldier whose wife is lighting at home, the situation is more complex, since the Beis Yosef holds that lighting would be an unnecessary bracha. Yet, the Terumas Hadshen holds that he can choose not to be yotzei with his wife’s lighting so he can light on his own.
What about a soldier in combat at the front? The mitzvah of ner Chanuka is “ner ish ubeiso,” to have candles lit at one’s home. Thus it would seem, that one who doesn’t have a home or place of lodging for the night (i.e. he is in transit) isn’t obligated to light.
A temporary home — an enclosed area such as a train compartment rented for the night — qualifies as a “home” according to some.
Soldiers on the battlefield who are sleeping in tents, tanks, or abandoned homes, can light at these stations. Soldiers sleeping under the open sky are subject to a debate in halacha. While some say that they don’t light at all since they are “homeless,” others contend that the mitzva of Chanuka candles is on the person and not connected to a home at all, and even soldiers sleeping outdoors should light. Out of doubt, some poskim conclude that they should light without a bracha.
1. שבת כ"א ע"ב. וראה תרומת הדשן סי' ק"א, שו"ע או"ח סי' תרע"א ס"ד.
2. ראה שבת כ"א ע"ב.
3. ראה שו"ע ורמ"א סי' תרע"א ס"ב. ברכה שא"צ,
4. ב"י סי' תרע"ז דהו"ל ראה רמ"א או"ח סי' תרע"ז ס"ג.
5. פנ"י שבת כא ע"ב. שו"ת אגרות
6. ט"ז סי' תרע"ז ס"ב. וספר הליכות משה יו"ד ג סי' יד ה שלמה – חנוכה ע' רנז.
7. שו"ת מהרש"ם ח"ד סי' קמו. ערוך ראה ב"י השולחן סי' תרע"ז ס"ה. סי' תרע"ז בשם ארחות חיים. וראה שו"ת כוכבי יצחק שככה נהגו.
8. רמב"ם חנוכה פ"ד ה"א.
9. מקראי קודש חנוכה פ"ח הע' ג. חי"א סי' 10. אז נדברו ח"ז סי' ס"ז סי' סי' ל"ד. שו"ת ציץ אליעזר ח"ט י"ז ע' עט, חט"ו סי' כ"ט.
11. חזון עובדיה, חנוכה ע' קנו-ח.
RABBI CHAIM HILLEL RASKIN ROV OF ANASH - PETACH TIKVA
