Tractate Soferim 20:8

ואין מברכין על הירח אלא במוצאי שבת כשהוא מבושם ובכלים נאים ותולה עיניו כנגדה ומיישר את רגליו ומברך אשר במאמרו ברא שחקים וברוח פיו כל צבאם חוק וזמן נתן להם שלא ישנו את תפקידם פועלי אמת שפעולתו אמת וללבנה אמר שתתחדש באור יקר ועטרת תפארת לעמוסי בטן שהם עתידים להתחדש כמותה לפאר יוצרם על כבוד מלכותו בא"י מקדש ראשי חדשים: The benediction over the moon must not be said except at the conclusion of the Sabbath when one is in an exhilarated mood¹After the happiness of the Sabbath day. and well dressed. [43a] He directs his eyes towards the moon, places his feet together and pronounces the benediction ‘Who²Preceded, as all benedictions, by ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe’. didst create the heavens by Thy word and all their hosts by the breath of Thy mouth. Thou didst set for them a fixed law and time that they should not change their ordained task. They are glad and rejoice to perform the will of their Possessor.³Inserted by GRA and M; omitted by V. H adds it in the textual notes. They act loyally, for their⁴So GRA, M and H. V has ‘for his’. action is truth. To the moon Thou didst say that it should renew itself with a precious light and a diadem of beauty for those who have been sustained from the womb⁵A reference to Israel (cf. Is. 46, 3). who, like it, will be renewed in the future and glorify their Creator for the majesty of His kingdom. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who hallowest the New Moons’.⁶H reads ‘hallowest Israel and the New Moons’; the reading of GRA is ‘Who renewest the months’.

ואומר ג"פ סימן טוב סימן טוב [תהיה] לכל ישראל ברוך יוצרך ברוך עושך ברוך קונך ברוך בוראך ורוקד ג׳ רקידות כנגדה ואומר ג"פ כשם שאני רוקד כנגדך ואיני נוגע ביך כך אם ירקדו אחרים כנגדי [להזיקני] לא יגעו בי תפול עליהם אימתה ופחד ולמפרע אמן אמן סלה הללויה ואומר לחבירו ג"פ שלום וילך לביתו בלב טוב והדא היא לכל מפסיקין לראשי חדשים: Then one says three times, ‘An auspicious omen, an auspicious omen, shall it be for all Israel. Blessed be He Who formed thee, blessed be Thy Maker, blessed be thy Possessor, blessed be thy Creator’. Turning in the direction of the moon,⁷lit. ‘towards it’. he jumps three times and exclaims three times, ‘As I jump towards thee but do not⁸M reads ‘and cannot’ which is the reading in the ritual. touch thee, so if others should jump against me to hurt me may they not touch me. Let terror and dread fall upon them and may this be retrospective, Amen, Amen, Selah. Praise ye the Lord’. He then says ‘Peace’ three times to his fellow and goes home with a cheerful heart. That is [the conclusion of the regulations] concerning the interruptions for New Moons.⁹Cf. XVII, 2f where the regulations for the New Moon began and, with many interruptions, insertions and amplifications, continued to the end of this Rule.

כיצד מפסיקין לחנוכה אמרו בעשרים וחמשה בכסליו מדליקין נר חנוכה ואסור להדליק בנר ישן ואם אין לו אלא ישן מלבנו באור יפה יפה ואין מגביהין אותו ממקומו עד שיכבה: What are the regulations respecting Ḥanukkah?¹⁰lit. ‘how do we interrupt for Ḥanukkah’, a reference to XVII, 2 where Ḥanukkah was first introduced in this set of regulations with the statement, ‘The sequence … is interrupted for … Ḥanukkah’. The Rabbis said: On the twenty-fifth day of Kislew¹¹The ninth Heb. month on the twenty-fifth of which the Festival begins. the Ḥanukkah lamp is kindled,¹²This takes place on the preceding evening, the night belonging to the following day. and it is forbidden to use an old lamp;¹³If it is an earthen lamp, because the burnt oil renders it unsightly. but if a person has only an old lamp, he must thoroughly heat it in fire;¹⁴To burn away the old oil, after which the lamp may be used. nor may [the Ḥanukkah lamp] be moved¹⁵lit. ‘lifted’. from its place before it is extinguished.¹⁶Carrying the lamp about while it is burning might cause suspicion that one is making a profane use of it; but the Ḥanukkah light, commemorating the miracles which led up to the celebration (cf. Rule 5), is sacred, is only to be looked at and must not be used for any other purpose.

מצות הדלקתו משקיעת החמה עד שיכלה הרגל מן השוק ואע"פ שאין ראייה לדבר זכר לדבר (שמות י״ג:כ״ב) לא ימיש עמוד הענן יומם ואם הדליקו ביום אין נאותין ממנו ואי׳ מברכין עליו שכך אמרו אין מברכין על הנר עד שיאותו לאורו ואין חוששין לפתילתו להחליפו עד שיכלה: The commandment to kindle it extends from sunset until the last person has left¹⁷lit. ‘the foot ceases from’. the street.¹⁸The light is intended to serve as a public demonstration, but at such a late hour there are no passers-by to see it. And, although there is no actual proof,¹⁹That the lighting must take place after sunset. there is an allusion to it: The pillar of cloud by day [and the pillar of fire by night,] departed not.²⁰Ex. 13, 22, which indicates that the pillar of fire which, like the Ḥanukkah lamp, was intended to shed light, appeared in the night only If it was lit in daytime, one must derive no benefit from it, nor may the benediction be said over it; for so [the Rabbis] said: No benediction is to be pronounced over the lamp before one enjoys its light. There is no need, however, to be concerned about changing the wick before it has been used up.

נר חנוכה מצוה להניחו בפתח הסמוך לרה"ר שתהא מזוזה בימין ונר חנוכה משמאל לקיים מה שנאמר (ש"ה ז) מה יפית ומה נעמת מה יפית במזוזה ומה נעמת בנר חנוכה ונרות כב"ה משום מעלין בקדש ולא מורידין כעין ימים היוצאין: It is a religious precept to place the Ḥanukkah lamp by the door which is near to the public domain,²¹So that the light is seen from the street. in such a manner that the mezuzah should be on the right hand and the Ḥanukkah lamp on the left, to fulfil what is stated, How fair and how pleasant art thou²²Cant. 7, 7.—how fair with the mezuzah and how pleasant with the Ḥanukkah lamp. The number²³Inserted by GRA, wanting in V, M and H. of lights [for each night] is in accordance with the ruling of the School of Hillel,²⁴One light on the first night, two on the second, and so on, until eight lights burn on the eighth and last night of the Festival. because in sacred matters one should proceed to a higher grade²⁵Adding lights on the succeeding nights. but not descend to a lower one,²⁶As would happen if the number were to be reduced from eight on the first night to one on the last in accordance with the view of Beth Shammai. [and also because the number of lights should] correspond to the days [of the Festival] as they pass.

וכיצד מברכין ביום ראשון המדליק מברך שלש והרואה מברך שתים בא"י אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להדליק נר ואומר הנרות האלו אנו מדליקין על הישועות ועל הניסים ועל הנפלאות אשר עשית לאבותינו ע"י כהניך הקדושים וכל (מצות) שמונת ימי חנוכה הנרות האלו קודש ואין לנו רשות להשתמש בהן אלא לראותן בלבד כדי להודות לשמך על נפלאותיך ועל נסיך ועל ישועתך בא"י שהחיינו ואומר שעשה נסים לאבותינו אלו למדליק אבל לרואה אינו אומר ביום ראשון אלא שתים שהחיינו ושעשה מכאן ואילך [המדליק] מברך להדליק ושעשה והרואה אומר (אשר עשה) [שעשה] נסים: In what manner are the benedictions²⁷Over the Ḥanukkah lights. said? On the first day, the person who kindles [the lamp] says three benedictions while the onlooker says two. The person who kindles says, ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord,²⁸Inserting after ‘Lord’, as in all benedictions, ‘our God, King of the universe’ (P.B., p. 274). Who hast sanctified us by Thy commandments and hast given us command to kindle the light of Ḥanukkah’. Then²⁹After the three benedictions: the one just given and the two mentioned below. he says, ‘We kindle these lights on account of the deliverances and the miracles and the wonders which Thou didst work for our fathers, by means of Thy holy priests.³⁰The Maccabees who were a priestly family. During all the eight days of Ḥanukkah these lights are sacred, and it is not permitted to make any profane use of them but we are only to look at them, in order that we may give thanks unto Thy name for thy wonders, Thy miracles and Thy deliverances’. [The third benediction is] ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who hast kept us in life’.³¹Concluding ‘and hast preserved us, and enabled us to reach this season’ (P.B., p. 274). [Before this] he says, ‘Who wroughtest miracles for our fathers’.³²Beginning, as usual, ‘Blessed art … universe’ and concluding ‘in the days of old at this season’ (P.B., p. 274). These benedictions are for the person who kindles the lights, but the onlooker says on the first day only two benedictions: ‘Who hast kept us in life’ and ‘Who wroughtest miracles’. From that day onwards the person who kindles the lights says, ‘To kindle’ and ‘Who wroughtest’, while the onlooker only says ‘Who wroughtest miracles’.

החזן צריך לומר אתה קדוש בשמנה עשר של חנוכה וכן בראשי חדשים וכן בחולו של מועד מפני שכתוב בהן עולת תמיד ותני רבי חייא כל יום שאין בו מוסף אין בו קדוש חוץ מן החנוכה שאע"פ שאין בה מוסף יש בה קדוש מפני (מה) שיש בה הלל וי"א אף בפורים מפני שיש בה מגילה: The precentor must say, ‘Thou art holy’³³i.e. the ḳedushshah. It appears that, instead of beginning with ‘We will sanctify’ (P.B., p. 45) or ‘We will reverence’ (P.B., p. 160), there was a custom to begin with ‘Thou art holy’ on Sabbath and Festivals. Rule 7 extends this practice to some of the less important days as specified below. It has also been suggested to read, instead of ’attah ḳadosh (‘Thou art holy’) ’eth haḳḳedushshah (‘the ḳedushshah’). on the eight days³⁴So GRA. V, M and H read ‘in the eighteen [benedictions]’. of Ḥanukkah, and similarly on New Moons and on the intermediate days of a Festival,³⁵viz. Passover and Tabernacles. because beside³⁶Inserted by GRA, omitted by V, M and H. the continual burnt-offering³⁷Num. 28, 15 (on the New Moon); ibid. 24 (on the intermediate days of Passover); and ibid. XXIX, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34 (on those of Tabernacles). is written in connection with them. And R. Hiyya learnt: On any day on which there is a musaf ḳedushshah is said except on Ḥanukkah on which ḳedushshah is said although there is no musaf on it, because Hallel is included [in the service]. Some maintain [that it is said] on Purim also, because the scroll of Esther is read on it.

וגומרין את הלל כל שמנת ימי חנוכה בג׳ פרקים הראשונים אין משיבין ואין צ"ל לשאול בשנים האחרונים שואלין מפני היראה [ומשיבין] מפני השלום ומפני הכבוד ואלו הן שלשה ראשונים הללו עבדי ה׳ בצאת ישראל אהבתי שנים האחרונים הללו את ה׳ הודו לה׳ וצריך לברך בתחילתן ולקרותן בנעימה דתני ר׳ שמעון בן יהוצדק ימים שמנה עשרה ולילה אחד יחיד גומר בהן את ההלל ואלו הן שמנת ימי חנוכה וי"ט של עצרת וי"ט הראשון של פסח ולילו ובגולה עשרים ואחד יום ושתי לילות מצוה מן המובחר לקרות הלל בשני לילות של גליות ולברך עליהן ולאומרן בנעימה לקיים מה שנאמר (תהילים ל״ד:ד׳) ונרוממה שמו יחדיו וכשהוא קורא אותו בביתו אינו צריך לברך שכבר בירך ברבים: The whole Hallel⁴²Including Pss. CXV, 1-11 and CXVI, 1-11 (P.B., pp. 220f). is recited during all the eight days of Ḥanukkah. During [the recital of] the first two⁴³So GRA. V, M and H read ‘three’. chapters one may not return greetings, and there is no need to say that one must not give greetings. During [the recital of] the last two chapters one may give greetings out of fear;⁴⁴To a person who can cause harm in his resentment at not having been greeted. during the two middle chapters⁴⁵The reading of GRA. V and M have ‘and return greetings for the sake of peace and out of respect’. H omits the text of V and GRA. [greetings may be given] for the sake of peace or out of respect. The following are the first two chapters: Praise, O ye servants of the Lord⁴⁶Ps. 113. and When Israel went forth.⁴⁷ibid. CXIV. V, M and H adds Ps. 115 as the third. The two middle ones are: Not unto us⁴⁸ibid. CXV; ‘the two middle … us’ is the reading of GRA. and I love.⁴⁹ibid. CXVI. The last two are: O praise the Lord⁵⁰ibid. CXVII. and O give thanks unto the Lord.⁵¹ibid. CXVIII. It is also necessary to say a benediction⁵²‘Blessed art Thou … to read the Hallel’ (P.B., p. 219). before them and read them melodiously. For R. Simeon b. Jehoẓadaḳ said:⁵³So GRA. V, H and M read ‘learnt’ using a term which refers to a Mishnah, whereas the quotation is from the Gemara in Ta‘an. 28b (Sonc. ed., pp. 150f). On eighteen days and one night the individual reads the whole Hallel and they are: the eight days of Ḥanukkah, the eight days of Tabernacles,⁵⁴Omitted by V and M, but added by GRA and H in agreement with Ta‘an. loc. cit. the Festival of Solemn Assembly, the first Festival day of Passover and the night preceding it.⁵⁵[Cf. Pes. V, 7 (Sonc. ed., p. 327) where it is described how the Hallel was recited during the sacrifice of the Paschal lamb on the eve of Passover.] In the Diaspora⁵⁶i.e. all countries outside the land of Israel where two days are observed as holy instead of the first day of Tabernacles, two days for the Festival of Solemn Assembly, and two days each for the first and seventh day of Passover. [the whole Hallel is read on] twenty-one days and two nights. The most proper way of performing the commandment is to read the Hallel psalms on the two nights [of Passover] in the Diaspora in the Synagogue,⁵⁷In addition to reading them at home in the course of the Seder ritual. ‘In the Synagogue’ is inserted by GRA but omitted by V, M and H. to say the benediction over them, and to recite them melodiously to fulfil what is stated, And let us exalt His name together.⁵⁸Ps. 34, 4. When, however, one reads [the Hallel] at home,⁵⁹During the Seder. there is no need to say the benediction because it has already been said in the congregational service.⁶⁰lit. ‘among many’. The Service in Synagogue precedes the Seder in the home.

ואחר כך מוציאין ספר וקורין בנשיאים ויהי המקריב ביום הראשון וכן לכל יום יומו עד יום השמיני ובשבת שבתוכו קוראו ויהי ביום כלות משה עד כן עשה את המנורה וכן ביום השמיני עד וזה מעשה המנורה כל הפסוק ומפטיר בותשלם כל המלאכה (מלכים א ז׳:נ״א): A scroll⁶¹M and H read ‘a scroll of the Torah’. is then taken out⁶²In the Synagogue Service during Ḥanukkah. and we read in the section of the princes,⁶³Num. 7. And he that presented his offering the first day was;⁶⁴ibid. 12-17. and likewise for each day [the corresponding section of the offering] of that day,⁶⁵lit. ‘and so for each day its day’, the number of the Ḥanukkah day corresponding to the respective number of the days of the offerings of the princes. until the eighth day. On the Sabbath [during Ḥanukkah] one reads, And it came to pass on the day that Moses made an end⁶⁶Num. 7, 1. up to so he made the candlestick.⁶⁷ibid. VIII, 4. On the eighth day he reads from On the eighth day⁶⁸ibid. 54. through all the sections⁶⁹Of the offerings of all the princes. until so he made the candlestick. On the Sabbath⁷⁰So GRA. V and M read: ‘and so on the eighth day until And this was the work of the candlestick (Num. 8, 4) all the verse’. H has a different text. one also reads as the hafṭarah, Thus all the work … was finished.⁷¹i.e. in the passage 1 Kings 7, 51—VIII, 21.

(אין) מקדימין בשמנת ימי חנוכה לומר ביום השני ביום השלישי ביום הרביעי ביום החמישי ביום הששי ביום השביעי ביום השמיני כדי לגמור עשרה פסוקים: During the eight days of Ḥanukkah we read the following one day earlier:⁷²lit. ‘we advance to say’. To the prescribed reading of the day that of the following day is added. On the second day,⁷³Num. 7, 18-23. This is added to the reading of the first day and then repeated on the second, and similarly with the rest. On the third day,⁷⁴ibid. 24-29. On the fourth day,⁷⁵ibid. 30-35. On the fifth day,⁷⁶ibid. 36-41. On the sixth day,⁷⁷ibid. 42-47. On the seventh day,⁷⁸ibid. 48-53. On the eighth day,⁷⁹ibid. 54-59. so as to complete ten verses.⁸⁰Which is the minimum required for the reading of the three persons who are called to the Torah each day of Ḥanukkah.

בזמן שחל ר"ח טבת להיות באחד בשבת ביום ראשון קורין בענין ר"ח תחלה שלשה והרביעי של חנוכה שכל התדיר מחבירו תדיר קודם והוא קודם את חבירו אבל ביום שני אינו כן אלא קורים שלשה בשל חנוכה והרביעי בשל ר"ח שאין חשבון חודש מיום שני אלא בזמן שהשנים כסדרן דר׳ יצחק סחורה שאל את ר׳ יהושע נפחא ר"ח טבת שחל להיות בשבת במה קורין לענין כלות שלמה והמפטיר בשל שבת ור"ח חל להיות בחול קורין ביום הראשון שלשה [בשל] ר"ח [והרביעי] בשל חנוכה [שכל] התדיר מחבירו (תדיר) קודם את הבירו והואיל וקרא תחלה בשל ר"ח ביום השני קורא ג׳ לחנוכה והרביעי בשל ר"ח ובראשי חדשיכם עד שישלים (כל השיטה) ולמה כן שלא בא הרביעי אלא מחמת מוסף של ר"ח הרי מפסיקין לחנוכה: When the New Moon of Ṭebeth⁸¹Which always occurs during Ḥanukkah. falls on a Sunday, three persons read on the first day⁸²Of the New Moon, which is observed sometimes on one day and sometimes on two. in the passage of the New Moon first, while the fourth reads the passage of Ḥanukkah, because that which is more frequent takes precedence,⁸³The New Moon occurs every month, Ḥanukkah once a year. and so [the reading for the New Moon] precedes the other. On the second day, however, the order is not the same, but three persons read the passage of Ḥanukkah while the fourth reads that of the New Moon, because on the previous day the section of the New Moon had been read first.⁸⁴So GRA. V, M and H read: ‘because the reckoning of the month is from the second day only when the years are regular’. [This is the procedure] because R. Isaac Seḥorah asked R. Isaac Nappaḥa, ‘Which do we read [first]⁸⁵In the second and third scrolls of the Torah. In the first the regular portion of the week is read. when the New Moon of Ṭebeth falls on a Sabbath?’ [He replied,] ‘In the section of kalloth Mosheh,⁸⁶E.V. Moses had made an end (Num. 7, 1). The extent of the reading is given in Rule 10 above. while the mafṭir reads⁸⁷In the third scroll. the passages relating to the Sabbath and the New Moon.⁸⁸Num. 28, 9-15. If it falls on a week-day, on the first day [of the New Moon] three persons read [the passage] for the New Moon, the fourth reading that of Ḥanukkah; because that which is more frequent takes precedence. As, however, the section of the New Moon was read first,⁸⁹On the first day of New Moon. three persons are to be called up on the second day for the reading of the Ḥanukkah section,⁹⁰In the first scroll. Only two scrolls are taken out on the week-days of Ḥanukkah. while the fourth reads⁹¹In the second scroll. the section of the New Moon, viz. And in your new moons to the end of the section.⁹²Num. 28, 11-15. Why is this so?⁹³Why is the order of the reading reversed on the second day as compared with the first? Because it is only on account of the musaf of New Moon⁹⁴On the other week-days of Ḥanukkah there is no musaf. This argument cannot be applied to the first day of New Moon because it is the second day which begins the month, the first being the last day of the old month. that a fourth person is added.⁹⁵Rule 12 incorporates nearly the whole of XII, 7. Behold [we have concluded the regulations respecting] the interruption which is made for the sake of Ḥanukkah.⁹⁶Cf. XVII, 2f.