chanukah candels in hotel room
הרב שי טחןיט כסליו, תשפו09/12/2025One staying in a hotel during Chanukah should light the candles in his room with a blessing
תגיות:חנוכהבית מלוןחנוכיה
One staying in a hotel during Chanukah should light the candles in his room with a blessing. However, if hotel management explicitly prohibits lighting candles in the rooms, he should not light there at all. In any case, he may not light in the hotel’s public areas, such as the dining hall or lobby.
A rented hotel room is considered one’s home for the duration of his stay — similar to someone who rents a residence year-round. The Maharam Shik (vol. 4, siman 146) likewise rules that one who rents a cabin on a train for the night, that cabin is considered his home for lighting.
It is clear that one should not light in the lobby or hallway, since those areas are not private spaces, nor in the dining room, which is shared by all guests. Although the Rema (Orach Chaim 677:1) writes that one should light where he eats, this applies only when that place is his own; in a hotel, the dining room is not personally designated for any one guest.
Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (Ashrei HaIsh, Chanukah, ch. 39:11) ruled that one may not light in the lobby, and if he is not permitted to light at his doorway, he must find another private area; it is implied that no other public space in the hotel is suitable. Similarly, Rav Ben Zion Abba Shaul (Or LeTzion, vol. 4, p. 289) rules that one does not fulfill the mitzvah by lighting in the hotel dining room; rather, he must light in his private room where he sleeps.
Rav Elyashiv further ruled that if the hotel forbids lighting in the room, one who lights anyway transgresses theft and does not fulfill his obligation, since he is violating the terms of his rental.
This differs from the case of an achsania (guesthouse), where the guesthouse is considered his home during his stay, or from yeshiva students lighting in their dining hall — since that area is part of their permanent living space. A hotel dining room, however, remains a public area not designated for personal use.
This ruling contrasts with Yalkut Yosef (Chanukah, p. 505), which suggests that if guests are not allowed to light in their rooms due to fire hazard, they may pool together and light at the hotel entrance.
Rav Harfenes (Mikdash Yisrael, Chanukah, siman 63) writes that ideally, one should light in his room; if that is not permitted, he may light in the dining hall.
A rented hotel room is considered
It is clear that one should not light in the lobby or hallway, since those areas are not private spaces, nor in the dining room, which is shared by all guests. Although the Rema (Orach Chaim 677:1) writes that one should light where he eats, this applies only when that place is his own; in a hotel, the dining room is not personally designated for any one guest.
Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (Ashrei HaIsh, Chanukah, ch. 39:11) ruled that one may not light in the lobby, and if he is not permitted to light at his doorway, he must find another private area; it is implied that no other public space in the hotel is suitable. Similarly, Rav Ben Zion Abba Shaul (Or LeTzion, vol. 4, p. 289) rules that one does not fulfill the mitzvah by lighting in the hotel dining room; rather, he must light in his private room where he sleeps.
Rav Elyashiv further ruled that if the hotel forbids lighting in the room, one who lights anyway transgresses theft and does not fulfill his obligation, since he is violating the terms of his rental.
This differs from the case of an achsania (guesthouse), where the guesthouse is considered his home during his stay, or from yeshiva students lighting in their dining hall — since that area is part of their permanent living space. A hotel dining room, however, remains a public area not designated for personal use.
This ruling contrasts with Yalkut Yosef (Chanukah, p. 505), which suggests that if guests are not allowed to light in their rooms due to fire hazard, they may pool together and light at the hotel entrance.
Rav Harfenes (Mikdash Yisrael, Chanukah, siman 63) writes that ideally, one should light in his room; if that is not permitted, he may light in the dining hall.
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