For the past three years, Rebbitzin Batsheva Kanievsky has undertaken to light her own Chanukah candles.
Kikar reports that the rebbitzin is not lighting her own menorah in secret, but in the presence of her followers and friends who wish to join.
The question being asked is why for only the past three years? It appears that an American Jew gave HaGaon HaRav Chaim Shlita a menorah, one that was far more impressive than the simple one the Rav has been lighting for many years, the menorah that he inherited.
The Rav was unwilling to forgo his long-standing minhag, but then again, he did not wish to offend the givir who has always given generously to support the proper causes. The Rav lights his old menorah the first day and then, the rebbitzin begins lighting it herself , (the one the Rav lit in previous years, before receiving the gift).
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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18 Responses
With a bracha or without?
Do you think the rebbetzin would like a picture of herself on the web? Not very respectful of you, YWN.
Maybe she consented to the photo? Maybe YWN and the other sites did what they should have and got permission but we dont know? Maybe we should be dan lchaf zechus
“The Rav lights his old menorah the first day and then, the rebbitzin begins lighting it herself , (the one the Rav lit in previous years, before receiving the gift).”
Who? What? Where?
Yechiel Spira, do us a favor. Please, please take some writing lessons!
I agree with #2… YWN editor, it would probably be most appropriate to change the picture, even though not very revealing it doesn`t sit well at all.
I can’t get my sister to light candles. Maybe the Kedusha of Lakewood is more powerful than the Kedusha of Eretz Yisroel! Freilichen Channukka.
really its very pushit.after getting a new menorah reb chaim is giving the tremendous zechus of lighting the inherited menorah to the very most chashuva person in his life- the person behind his greatness. i think its a lesson for all of us from r chaim how much we need to appreciate our wives and mothers.
i have a sfardi neighbor who is a talmid chochom. on chanuka,he always gives his wife the second candle to light and have learned allot from him.
This is a lovely story and example by the Gedolim of how one should behave so as not to hurt/embarrass another. We should learn from it; that was the point of it being posted.
That said, doesn’t YWN have a policy of “no pictures of women” like the Chareidi newspapers and magazines? For myself, I don’t mind (being female), but some men might.
Ladies – we were responsible for the gezayra being broken. Thanks to Yehudis – we SHOULD light the menorah – PROUDLY!
SO what’s the story about NO women pictures in Charedi press /media? when can we get the hesber?
JudySL – One of the challenges in Yiddishkeit is “Emunas Chochumim” (Trusting the wisdom of our Sages). When they say something that is in contrast to our personal believes it is our obligation to 1) humble ourselves to follow their view and 2) try to understand why their view is correct and ours not.
The Halacha clearly states that a married woman fulfills her obligation of lighting through her husbands lighting (the reason is because “Ishto Kigufo Damei” they are considered one person.)
Thus, if your intended meaning of “we SHOULD light the menorah – PROUDLY!” is in reference to a married woman, you’re making a statement that is both in contrast to halacha and shamefully the opposite of Shalom Bais (being that if she REALLY feels so close to her husband she would feel as if she lit when her husband lit).
Marriage within Judaism is not one of a power struggle, but rather one of team work. If everybody is fighting to be team mascot then the team will surely lose. If your hashkafot are akin to the impression your are giving then I recommend that you seek guidance. Otherwise, your future may bring you unnecessary tragedy. 🙁
#4 – You said it. Some YWN articles need to be deciphered, not read.
#9 – The halacha is that a married woman is yotzeh with her husband. So I’m not sure why women “SHOULD” light the menorah, but if you do you may as well do it “PROUDLY!”
#2 and #4 – Please don’t be so rude!
#7 and #8 – I like your comments.
#11 Actually, the Halacha does not “clearly state” that Ishto Kegufo applies when it comes to Ner Chanukah. In actuality, that is just one of several Terutzim that the achronim offer [in this case the Mishna Berura] when trying to explain the minhag that married women do not light their own ner Chanukah. In other words, they started by noticing what seems to be a stira-women are mechuyav to light on one hand, but on the other they don’t actually light, which does not make sense. So there are all kinds of terutzim offered, ishto kegufo being one of them, but not everyone agrees. Some poskim even say that married women can and should light their own, against the Mishna Berura.
In short, please don’t berate and condemn others others when you clearly have not mastered this particular halacha.
bobdavener – Yes, your are right that there are different opinions as to why the minhag is that married women (and daughters) fulfill their obligations through their husband/father.
Yes, you are right that a woman that would like to fulfill the mitzvah herself may do so (even with a bracha if she is Ashkenazi).
However, the halacha still stands that the excepted minhag is that woman fulfill their chiyuv through their husbands. To state, “women SHOULD light the menorah…” as JudySL stated is in error.
As far as your statement that “Some poskim…say…married women…SHOULD light their own…”, I could not find a source that supports your claim. Can you please provide the source that makes such a statement?
Thanks
#6- I don’t understand. I’m assuming your sister lives in Lakewood. Is it MORE kedusha NOT to light candles? Please illuminate.
#11
The Mishna Berura also states that a married woman may, if she wishes, light herself with a brocha. The idea of ishto k’gufo (which I don’t completely understand in this context) is only explaining why it is not universal for women to light in addition to their husbands.
dlz – the point you bring out has already been established by bobdavener and myself.
My gripe is only with the statement that “women SHOULD light on their own”. That is not founded in Halacha. Can she? Yes. Should she? She is not required to buy another menorah, oil, wicks, etc and light on her own. She can L’chatchila fulfill her requirement “MiHadrin Min HaMihadrin” through her husband’s lighting.