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Which is a higher priority on Dec 24 at night?
This year, the first night of Channukah is the evening of the 25th of December. This question would be about a year in which Channukah starts on or before the 24th. In that case, one would be faced with contradictory sensibilities:
- Lighting the Channukah candles in a way that encourages pirsumei nisa, a publicizing of the miracle of Channukah
vs.
- Nittel nacht, when Jews in Europe hid away their identities and refrained from public displays of religion out of fear of attacks
In those years when Channukah started before the 25th and the fear of pogroms was extant, which sensibility won out (practically and in halachic theory)? Did people prioritize publicizing, or hiding?
1 answer
I am rather dubious that fear of attacks suddenly stopped after December 25. That day, because of its significance in Christianity, certainly had some impact. But I doubt that it was that much safer to light visible Chanukah candles on December 1 vs. 23 vs. 26 etc.
The solution, as has been the case in many places over many years (but changes over time as governments and public opinion change) is to light inside. Cover the windows and light inside. That satisfies the Halachic requirements, even if the only people to see the candles are the people who live in the house.
Another possibility, which has also not always been an option, is to light inside a synagogue. I actually heard an explanation last night for why the rules are different, in particular that (except for Friday night, of course) in synagogue you can light at around sunset (ideal time at home is later) and can extinguish the candles after Maariv if nobody will be in the synagogue, even though it is not yet the proper time for lighting at home and even though the candles have not burned for the normal minimum of 30 minutes. The answer being that lighting in a synagogue with at least 10 people there (the Rabbi made it clear that this does not even have to be a Minyan for Davening - women can be counted since they have the same obligation of lighting Chanukah candles) is considered a publicizing the miracle.
And of course this reminds me of a famous picture of a Menorah in Germany in 1931 with a Nazi flag in the background. This article in the The Times of Israel has details:
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