The last several years have seen a resurgence in interest in Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein, zt”l, the major Ashkenazic posek who lived from 1829 to 1908; his final and most prominent position was the rabbi of Novohardok in the Russian Empire, now Belarus. Rabbi Epstein is better known as the Aruch Hashulchan, the title of his magnum opus, which explains the basis for the full range of halachic practice, starting with the Talmud and then going through its interpreters until his day. We have recently been blessed with the publication of the biography by Rav Eitam Henkin, HY”D, “Taaroch Lefanai Shulchan,” and the English-language translation and elucidation of a portion of Aruch Hashulchan by Rabbis Michael Broyde and Shlomo Pill.
As an introduction to his methodology, I gathered some of his insights from the beginning of the laws of Chanukah in Orach Chayim 670-1 to demonstrate the combination of deep learning, practical decision-making and love for the Jewish people that distinguishes the Aruch Hashulchan amongst contemporary works of Halacha.
670:1-5: The Aruch Hashulchan (AS) begins with an overview of the historical background of Chanukah. The inclusion of this introduction immediately distinguishes this work from the Shulchan Aruch, which starts directly with the laws of Chanukah, as the AS looks to explain the rationales behind different opinions and practices of the holiday. Connecting the history with the well-known question of the Beit Yosef of why we celebrate Chanukah for eight days, the AS gives several reasons—either related to the oil, or the military victory, or the rededication of the Beit Hamikdash—but concludes that the central message behind the holiday is that we are commemorating a Kiddush Hashem, as the Jewish people were able to proudly observe the Torah in front of the entire world. The AS transforms a history lesson and classic Torah debate into a source of inspiration for his readers, especially relevant in a time when Torah observance was on the wane in Eastern Europe.
670:6: In summarizing the long-running debate on whether it is appropriate to fast on the day before Chanukah (for example, if someone has yahrtzeit on that day), the AS concludes that especially since we can’t force a person not to fast, what really matters is that “all hearts look toward Hashem as long as their intentions are for Heaven”—that is, it is not worthwhile to get involved in such a dispute. Here, the AS is not afraid to defend the less-accepted practice allowing the fast—as long as there is commitment to observe Halacha.
670:9: After the AS gives a defense of having Chanukah parties, he protests that “gambling is a grave sin… a plague has spread across Israel—woe to us!—in our generation, as many sins arise from it; even though He is merciful and forgiving of sin (Psalms 78:38), anyone for whom is in their power to stop this will have great reward.” The AS’s defense of the Jewish people’s minhagim has its limit!
671:2: While Rambam (Hilchot Chanukah 4:12) codifies that one must sell the clothes off one’s back to purchase Chanukah candles, and the rabbis throughout the ages debate the extent of this requirement, the AS notes that nowadays candles are so cheap that there is no reason to further discuss the parameters. While the AS doesn’t shy away from diving into disputes, he prefers to limit discussion to practical inquiries.
672:3-8: The Talmud in Shabbat 21b describes three levels of observing the mitzvot of Chanukah lights: a “base” level of one light for each house every night; a “mehadrin” level of one light for each member of each household each night; and the “mehadrin min hamehadrin” level—now our standard practice—of starting with one candle on the first night, then adding a candle each night (following Beit Hillel). However, our practice of lighting an extra candle each night for every member of the household is not specifically described in the Talmud. In fact, Tosafot believes that each house should only have one set of lights so that it is clear to passersby which night of Chanukah it is, and this is the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch. The AS defends the ruling of the Rema that each member has his or her own set of lights, since this is the only way we can clearly fulfill both the “mehadrin” and “mehadrin min hamehadrin” practices. As the Talmud itself doesn’t bring Tosafot’s rationale, the AS believes that we are not bound to follow it to a halachic conclusion. He also notes that if the sets of lights are sufficiently separated, then passersby can still tell which night of Chanukah it is, defending the Rema’s ruling against Tosafot’s objections.
671:9: However, the AS then notes that many people in his day have the practice of each household having only one set of lights, and he also defends that practice, even though all household members above bar/bat mitzvah age are equally obligated in Chanukah lights. He notes that these households have reverted to the original practice of the Gemara of lighting by the doorway, where having multiple sets of lights would lead to confusion. He cites the view that “mehadrin min hamehadrin” overrides “mehadrin,” so there is no benefit of having more than one set of lights in the house.
671:15-16: The AS then brings up a question from the Galya Mesechta, a predecessor of the AS in Novohardok, who strongly believed, against the Rema, based on a close reading of the Talmud and the Rambam, that even if there is a set of lights for each member of the household, it is only the obligation of the head of the household to light all of them—not each person lighting their own. The AS disagrees, bringing a connection from the laws of eruvin, where, even though one person in the eruv can supply the food for everyone, it is better for everyone to contribute; similarly, while one person can light everyone’s Chanukah lights, it is preferable for everyone to light their own. Here, the AS seriously considers the argument of a predecessor, not necessarily because his view was well-established (though perhaps it was in Novohardok), but because it presented a compelling case that needed to be addressed to defend the common practice.
671:24: At the conclusion of his discussion about the proper place for the menorah, after going through the history of various practices, the AS says he personally lights in the front window so that the candles can be seen by both family members and passersby, allowing for maximal pirsumei nisa, or spreading of the miracle. This personal touch, stating “this is my custom,” is a hallmark of his work, bringing the reader into the home of Rabbi Epstein himself, bridging the generations, as lighting in the window is the custom in this writer’s home as well.
671:25: In discussing lighting the menorah in the synagogue, he concludes that both ways of placing the menorah in beit knesset—east-west or north-south—are acceptable; in fact, I have seen both practices here in Teaneck. The emphasis is again on shalom with the bounds of halacha.
671:26: Finally, he addresses the question of why we light in the synagogue at all, noting that even the Beit Yosef, who does not permit saying a bracha over the custom of saying Hallel on Rosh Chodesh, allows for saying a bracha over this custom. He believes that the synagogue lighting was instituted for guests or the homeless, who would otherwise have no place to light, similar to the rationale for Kiddush on Shabbat and Yom Tov in synagogues. He also argues that since many people light inside their houses (though not him—see above), the synagogue lighting is the only public lighting of the holiday, fulfilling the full requirement of pirsumei nisa.
Throughout his presentation of the laws of Chanukah, the Aruch Hashulchan demonstrates his love for the Jewish people and their myriad ways of observing the halacha, seeing how each legitimate tradition has a basis in the views of tradition, notwithstanding his willingness to denounce destructive practices that are not well-founded, such as gambling. By understanding how our halachic practices were developed, leading up to Rabbi Epstein himself placing the menorah in his window, the reader gains a deeper connection to the development of halacha and its centrality to the lives of Jews for all time.
Hesh Luber lives in Teaneck with his family.
