[Avodah] Women Lighting Menorahs

[Steven J Scher]

>


R'Akiva Miller:

> Here's my understanding of the three levels, based on Rav Shimon Eider's Halachos of Chanukah, page 8:
>
> According to Ashkenazim:
> Halacha: For the entire household, one candle is lit each night.
> Mehadrin: Each person lights one candle each night.
> Mehadrin Min Hamehadrin: Each person lights one candle the first night. Each person lights two candles the second night. Etc.
>
> According to Sefaradim:
> Halacha: For the entire household, one candle is lit each night.
> Mehadrin: Each person lights one candle each night.
> Mehadrin Min Hamehadrin: For the entire household, one candle is lit the first night. For the entire household, two candles are lit the second night. Etc.
>

This is my understanding, too.  (Although I admit that while I was vaguely 
aware of the sephardic minhag, I wasn't really thinking about it).


R'AM
> My personal practice is that in most cases, I light, but my wife does not,
> and both my sons and daughter light. This follows Mishne Brura 671:9, 
> that because of "ishto k'gufo" (that husband and wife are two halves of 
> a whole), one of them can light and still be following the "each person" 
> rule. It seems to me, though, that my unmarried daughter is unable to 
> rely on this concept until she gets married, and so she must light for 
> herself in order to follow the "each person" rule.

I saw this MB too, but don't really understand it.  Is there any other 
case where the halacha or minhag is for everyone to do something, but we 
rely on ishto k'gufo to fulfill it?