עברית
Holidays
When is the Shamash Candle Lit in the Chanukiah?
Question
Hello, I saw on the Hidabroot website the guidance of Rabbi Fanger regarding lighting the Chanukah candles. He mentioned that the shamash is lit last, but in all the YouTube videos, it shows that the shamash is lit first and then used to light the other candles in the Chanukiah. So what is correct? Should the shamash be lit first or last? Regards, Avigail
Answer
Greetings,
The custom of Sephardim is to light the shamash candle after completing the lighting of the candles (see Hazon Ovadia, Chanukah, page 101, and Torat Hamoadim, Chanukah, chapter 6, section 53).
The custom of Ashkenazim is to light the shamash candle before beginning the blessings (see Rema, Orach Chaim, section 671, paragraph 1, and Nitei Gavriel, Chanukah, chapter 23, section 11).
Best regards,
Hillel Meirs
