Q&A: Seeing Hanukkah Candles
Seeing Hanukkah Candles
Question
I saw in the Talmud that there is an obligation to recite the blessing “Who performed miracles” upon seeing Hanukkah candles.
In halakhic rulings, Maimonides explains that anyone who sees them should recite the blessing over the miracles if he has not yet recited it. The Shulchan Arukh writes that one recites a blessing upon seeing them only if he does not intend to light them himself later, and the Mishnah Berurah comments that the reason is that afterward he will be able to recite the blessing “to light a candle” together with “Who performed miracles.”
1. What is the root of the dispute between Maimonides and the Shulchan Arukh?
2. Is the blessing “to light a candle” dependent on the blessing “Who performed miracles”? If so, then if I already recited “Who performed miracles,” I would not be able afterward to recite “to light a candle.”
3. The straightforward meaning of the Talmud is that one must recite “Who performed miracles” on every occasion that a person sees them. Why was it not interpreted that way?
Answer
- I don’t know. Before asking what the root of the dispute is, first we need to clarify what the dispute itself is. According to Maimonides, does he recite it again when he lights, even if he already recited it earlier upon seeing them, or does he too hold that one recites it only once, except that in his view one does so upon seeing them?
- In my opinion, you can recite it. After all, this is a blessing over a commandment, and it is recited immediately before performing it.
- You yourself mentioned above the desire for him to recite it when he lights.