[Avodah] How to light the Menorah

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

R' Alan Rubin wrote:
> I have been using oil for the shammas as well. It can be
> a bit tricky lighting with a shammas and I usually end 
> up spilling some oil. What does the panel think is
> preferable: ...

I encountered the same problems when I began to use oil neros.

One year, my procedure was to light the shammas, and then I lifted that wick out of its lamp (with a tweezers or pliers), and lit the other neros with the burning wick. But even though there was no spilling, there was still some dripping, and it made quite a mess.

Since then, my procedure is much simpler: I light the shammas, and then I light a match from the shammas and use *it* to light the neros. If the match goes out, I light another match from the shammas, and continue lighting the neros.

The function of the shammas is to be an extra light because of the problem of the issur against getting hana'ah from the Neros Chanuka. I concede that the Rama (673:1) does mention "the shammas with which he lights the neros", but my feeling is that he merely identifying the shammas, and is not really telling us that we *must* use the shammas for that purpose. If someone would insist that the Rama IS telling us to actually use the shammas for lighting the neros, I would respond that I *am* doing that -- but I'm doing it indirectly.

Akiva Miller

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