Former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel Rav Yitzchak Yosef used his weekly shiur to call for a change in how Sephardic yeshivos conduct Chanukah candle lighting, questioning the practice of interrupting seder learning for the mitzvah.
Addressing the issue of candle-lighting times, Rav Yosef discussed the customs followed by various Chassidic leaders and contrasted them with strict adherence to halachah. He noted that certain Chassidic rebbes would light Chanukah candles 18 minutes after sunset, explaining that this practice was followed by the Gerrer Rebbe, the Beis Yisrael, and later by Rav Pinchas Menachem Alter, who served as Rosh Yeshivah of Gur before becoming Rebbe.
“There are rebbes who light later,” Rav Yosef said, “but we follow halachah. Someone who is at home should not delay lighting without reason. Why delay? Light exactly on time. Someone who is late can still light afterward — at six or seven. If a person is working and cannot stop, or if stopping would cause a significant loss, or if he has a chavrusa at that time, why stop learning at five o’clock, bang on the bimah, and light Chanukah candles?”
Rav Yosef went on to propose a clear change for yeshivos: continuing the regular learning schedule and lighting the Chanukah neiros only at the conclusion of seder. He said that this has already been the practice for years at Yeshiva Chazon Ovadia, where candle lighting is held at 7:00 p.m., and added that he was told the same is done at Yeshivat Porat Yosef under Rav Moshe Tzadkah.
“In our yeshivah, Chazon Ovadia, for years already we light at seven,” Rav Yosef said. “I heard that in Porat Yosef as well they do the same. Meaning, they light at the end of seder. At seven, they close the Gemaras and then light. That is the best way to do it.”
Expressing hope that his guidance would be adopted more broadly, Rav Yosef said, “If only all yeshivos would do this. The Ashkenazim won’t listen to me — at least the Sephardim should listen. Light the Chanukah candles at the end of seder. It’s a shame — this is Toras harabbim. You stop the learning, then go to the room to light, sing songs — what kind of bitul Torah is this? Do all of that at seven. You have an hour break, do it then. But a person who is at home, not a yeshivah student, should light on time — exactly at five.”
{Matzav.com}
