daf bit: Shabbat 22

[cellio]

The only talmudic discussion of Chanukah occurs over a few pages in Tractate Shabbat. It really is a minor holiday!

Today's daf discusses placement of the chanukiyah ("menorah", though technically that's a different multi-wick lamp). It was said in R. Tanhum's name: if the lamp is placed higher than 20 cubits from the ground it is invalid. (I have learned that this is because a lamp that high doesn't serve the function of publicizing the miracle -- who'll see it? The talmud doesn't address high-rise apartments.) Rabbah said the lamp should be placed within a hand-breadth of the door. On which side? R. Aha b. Raba said on the right; R. Shmuel of Difti said on the left. The halacha is on the left, so the lamp is on the left and the mezuzah is on the right. (22a)

Here in the US the norm is to place the chanukiyah inside the house (so it's visible through a window). In Israel I saw people use glass boxes that were placed outside next to the door. I don't know why this is done there but not here (so I asked).

Comments

[magid.livejournal.com]

My best guess: a combination of a number of factors. Culturally, even if people in whichever old country did (possible, but possibly not, if there was rampant anti-Semitism), there may have been a hiatus in transmission if immigrants moved into tenements where the architecture didn't allow it. Architecturally, even if people lived in (and owned) a place with a front door to the street, it may have been problematic to to add on to the house (or unaesthetic in some way). There might be fire regulations about exposed flames, even in some kind of box. There's also less chance that the average passerby will understand the significance (or perhaps even notice these modest lights compared to the much gaudier ones of another holiday around that time).

[nobble.livejournal.com]

but if you place it on the left of the door on the inside, isn't that the same side as the mezuzah on the right coming in the door? Wouldn't the menorah get knocked over? ! Fire hazard!

[cellio]

On the left as you're facing the door from outside -- sorry for not being clear. The chanukiyah was originally placed outside the house (like many in Israel do today), not at a window inside.

The g'mara here discusses fires caused by chaukiyot, by the way. :-) (Remember that at the time this was being written, all lights were flame, so if you had any street lighting at all you already had a fire risk.)