Shabbos Daf 23 שבת דַף 23

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1. הדלקה או הנחה

The question arose on Daf 22 whether the primary mitzvah act of menorah, is the lighting of the menorah or its placement(הדלקה עושה מצוה או הנחה עושה מצוה) .

On this Daf, two proofs are brought that the lighting is the primary mitzvah:

-R’ Yehoshua ben Levi said that in the case of a glass lantern that was burning throughout Shabbos Chanukah, that on motzi Shabbos one should extinguish it and then relight it to fulfill the mitzvah. From the fact that R’ Yeshoshua ben Levi does not require lifting the lantern up and placing it down, we learn that the mitzvah is through the lighting.

-From the fact that the text of the berachah is אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להדליק נר של חנכה – "Who has sanctified us with His commandments and has commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light", it is obvious that the Rabbis viewed the lighting as the primary fulfillment of the mitzvah.

2. The number of berachos for lighting and seeing the menorah

Rav Chiya bar Ashi said in the name of Rav that one who lights the menorah must make a beracho.

Rav Yirmiyah said one who sees a burning menorah must make a beracho.

-This is referring to someone passing by either in the street, or in a boat, who has not lit and will not do so that night. (Rashi)

-Rav Yehuda said that on the first day of Chanukah one who sees the menorah says two berachos (שעשה נסים ושהחיינו) and the one who lights says three berachos (להדליק נר, שעשה נסים ושהחיינו). The remaining nights, the one who lights recites two berachos and the one who sees the lights recites one.

-The Gemara clarifies that the beracho that is eliminated on the remaining nights is the beracho of שהחיינו. (He continues saying שעשה ניסים though, as a miracle occurred on each of the eight nights).

3. Which takes precedence

Rava said that it is obvious to him that if a person does not have enough money to purchase oil for Shabbos light and for menorah, that purchasing for Shabbos light takes precedence because of shalom bayis. It was also obvious to him that if the choice was between Shabbos light or wine for kiddush, that Shabbos light takes precedence because of shalom bayis.

Rava did have a question though regarding which takes precedence, oil for the menorah or wine for kiddush. On the one hand kiddush may be preferable because it comes more frequently. On the other hand the menorah may be preferable because פרסומי ניסא (publicizing the miracle). He eventually resolved his own question and stated that the menorah takes precedence because of פרסומי ניסא.