Lighting a Menorah Outside in the United States

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

In the time of Chazal, the minhag was to light the menorah outside in the front courtyard. It was to be lit by the entranceway of the front yard – facing the street. This was on account of the fact that the maximum Pirsumei Nissah is when we light the Chanukah lamps outside.

There may have been an additional reason as well.  If we examine the Tefillah of Al haNissim carefully, it could very well be that the very first lighting of the Menorah by the Chashmonayim was outside.  The Chasam Sofer understands that the Chashmonayim actually took the Menorah outside of the haichal and into the courtyard of the Temple – and lit it there. Not all agree, however.

But everyone agrees that when Jews started living among the gentiles, the minhag changed to light in the house on account of danger. Nowadays, the main pirsumei nissa is for one’s own family members. The question arises as to why we do not go back to the original custom in situations where, baruch Hashem, there is no longer a physical danger.

There are many neighborhoods in the United States such as in Kiryas Yoel, Lakewood, Boro Park, Williamsburg and Far Rockaway where there are entire locations of just Jewish homes. Are there opinions that one should ideally be lighting outside in these neighborhoods?  True, recently a dead pig was placed in front of a Rabbi’s home in Lakewood, but the neighborhoods are still safe enough to be lighting outside.

ARUCH HASHULCHAN’S VIEW

The Aruch HaShulchan is of the opinion that we do not default to the original custom. He explains that the wind or rain would extinguish the menorah and Chazal did not go so far as to demand that we enclose the menorah in glass. In Eretz Yisrael today many people do light outside in a glass-enclosed case.

RAV ELYASHIV’S VIEW

Rav Elyashiv zatzal (Kovaitz Teshuvos Vol. I #67) writes that even nowadays outside of Israel, where there is no danger on account of the gentiles, it is still a Mitzvah to light outside. Rav Elyashiv zt”l is not the only one who held this way.  Rav Moshe Shternbuch Shlita, in his Teshuvos v’Hanhagos (Vol. III #215), also writes that in an all-Jewish community even outside of Israel – one should light outside.

RAV SHLOMO MILLER’S VIEW

Rav Shlomo Miller Shlita, perhaps now the leading Posaik in North America, writes (Kuntrus Shoshanas Yisroel), that in the exile it has not been the custom to light at the front of one’s back yard next to the street – nor should one be changing this practice.

Why is this so?

Rav Miller explains that, generally speaking, we do not have permission from the local governing authorities and municipalities to light in such a manner without adequate fire safety steps. This is especially true if everyone were to start lighting outside it is highly likely that some sort of fire might break out, heaven forbid. Therefore, Rav Miller Shlita concludes that it is incorrect to be stringent in this matter.

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