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Mikeitz

Mizrachi Bayit Newsletter
http://www.mizrachibayit.ca

 

Shabbat Times


Friday Night

Candle Lighting

4:23 pm

Mincha followed by Kabbalat Shabbat

4:25 pm


Shabbat Day

Shacharit

9:00 am

Rabbi's Shiur

3:50 pm

Mincha

4:30 pm

Ma'ariv and end of Shabbat

5:28 pm


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Rules of Chanukah Candles
Please see the attached flyer for rules about lighting Chanukah candles, courtesy of Rabbi Katchen.


Kiddush Lunch this Shabbat
The Bernaths will be sponsoring a Shabbat kiddush lunch in commemoration of Celia's father's 25th yahrzeit.


Help Our Shul Sponsor a Refugee
Please join Les Lightstone in creating a Mizrachi Bayit-centred sponsorship group to help bring a refugee named Zewdi to Canada. Please read more information here.


From Rabbi Katchen

Dear Mizrachi Bayit Family: Chanukah Sameach!

In celebrating the wonderful holiday of Hannukah, we always want to be mindful of safety and ensuring that we do not put anyone in harm's way. If one is invited out this coming Friday evening for seudat shabbat, lighting a large number of candles that are not being watched poses some halakhic and safety challenges.  In light of that, I would like to suggest some possible ways to fulfill the mitzvah of lighting Hannukah candles with the goal of balancing the overriding concerns for safety and protection of life and limb and our halakhic obligations to light candles for close to an hour and a half. To that end, I would like to recommend three possible halakhic solutions:

Suggestion 1:  
According to a number of rishonim including most prominently Rambam, the time for lighting Hannukah candles is right at sunset on each night of Hannukah and not at the time of full darkness when three stars come out, (or on a Friday evening right before sunset, before one lights shabbat candles). As such, according to this view, the candles would only have to stay lit for about a half an hour after sunset to fulfill the mitzvah. 
In our extenuating circumstances, one can rely on this view and one can light one regular small Hannukah candle ( that lasts 45 minutes to an hour) right before shabbat candles or one tea light (and place them in the sink for added safety) based on the principle of נר איש וביתו, that the basic mitzvah is to light one candle each night on behalf of the whole family.
 
Suggestion 2: If a responsible member of the family will be at home at sunset and not coming to the meal outside of the home till later after the shul has completed Maariv, one can light regular lasting (45 minute-hour long) Hannukah candles right before shabbat candles and rely on the view of the Rambam and others mentioned above) that the time to light  Hannuka candles begins at sunset and not full darkness and have the candles lit for a half an hour or forty minutes after that and when they are no longer burning come to shul and join the rest of the family when we are at the end of Maariv.
 
Suggestion 3: If one is unable or uncomfortable in using either of these two options, one can rely, in these extreme circumstances on those aharonim who claim that if the entire family is present at the time of lighting where one is eating in someone else's home, though you will not be sleeping there, one can light candles there and rely on that . (This is a big leniency as usually we maintain that one must light at the place where one will actually be sleeping over.) This would mean that any family that is eating at someone else's home would need to go to the host's home a few minutes before mincha on Friday afternoon and bring some candles or tea lights and there prior to shabbat to fulfill their obligation.

With best wishes and hoping to see you all in shul!
 

 
Fri, March 29 2024 19 Adar II 5784