Interesting Psak: IDF Soldiers Lighting Chanuka Cnadles

By Gldmeier @gldmeier


Chief Rabbi Rav Dovid Lau issued the above piskei halacha for soldiers at war regarding the lighting of Chanuka candles.
Soldiers at the front, in battle, who are concerned about the danger of lighting candles at night when it is dark and the illumination might endanger them by giving away their location (for example), can light 30 minutes before sunset and extinguish the candles immediately after sunset before it actually gets dark. If they are hesitant to do even that, they need not light and can rely on the lighting done for them back on their bases.
If there are not enough candles available for all the soldiers who wish to light, each soldier should just light one candle (and not one for each day).
All soldiers should try to light candles if possible, but married soldiers shouldn't as candles are being lit in their homes on their behalf. One who did not light and is not being lit for in his house, should make a bracha when he sees lit candles, but only the bracha of "she'asa nissim", not lehadlik ner.
unmarried soldiers should light wherever they are, but only if they are in some sort of housing structure like a tent (at least 10 tefachim high) or occupying a home. If one is sleeping in an open field and eating there, someone in their homes should keep them in mind and light on his behalf, and if he lights in the field he should do so without a bracha.
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