Religion Magazine

Unusual Hanukkah Custom While Lighting in Shul

By Gldmeier @gldmeier
this is probably one of the kookiest Hanukkah videos you will have ever seen, and is probably one of the strangest customs you will have ever seen
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"אצל כמה צדיקים נהגו בהדלקת בית הכנסת להפריע קצת למדליק" (נטעי גבריאל)במספר קהילות חסידיות התייחסו למנהג ברצינות רבה מדי >

Posted by ‎ערוץ 7‎ on Tuesday, December 8, 2015

there is a custom among a small group of hassidim to throw things at the person lighting the chanukiya in shul during Hanukkah while he is lighting.
I have heard two reasons for this custom:
1. to ensure that he does not have kavanna while lighting in shul, as that is not where the mitzva is to be performed, rather at home. Throwing things while he is lighting will cause him to be distracted.
2. supposedly the Tzanzer Rebbe called it a segula for salvation, as the person lighting is doing a mitzva while suffering shame.
Question: is it a segula for everyone in the shul present and throwing while this fellow suffers his shame or is it a segula only for the guy lighting the menorah?
I've never seen this live, though it looks like a lot of fun, as long as you are not the guy lighting the candles. it also looks like it would either be a fire hazard or just make it very difficult for candles to actually be lit.
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