[Avodah] chanukah candles and women

[Danny Schoemann]

From: "R' Eli Turkel" eliturkel at gmail.com

>> I still  do not understand why wives generally do not light chanukah candles
>> according  to the Ashkenazi custom that each person lights separately....

According to the Chasam Sofer (Shabbos 21b: Vehamehadrin) [1] the
reason is, that since the original Mitzva was to light outdoors,
therefore women did not light Chanuka candles unless they had no other
choice, because of "Kol Kevudoh... Pnima. As a result, the
Mehadrin-min-Hamehadrin never included the women.

>> 2. If  ishto kegufo why can't the wife light even lechachtila for the husband

See above. But who says she cannot? See MB 675:3 (9) that a husband
may appoint the wife to light for all present. He doesn't say it's not
Lechachtila .

>>  and why if he is absent does he need to appoint her as a shaliach?

Source please. See ibid, as well as the KSA 139:16 and SA OC 677:3
which do not mention this. Only if the husband is home is shlichus
mentioned.

[1] Source for the CS comes from RYY Neuwirth's "Din Achsana'i
B'Chanuka", Kol HaTorah; Yeshiva Kol Torah's "Chanuka Torah compendium
5769". He says "many reasons are given for this (see CS ibid)".

- Danny