Written by Rabbi Gad Krebs, College Rabbi

Three mitzvot focus exclusively on publicising a miracle: reading the Megillah on Purim, drinking four cups of wine at the Pesach Seder, and lighting the Chanukah candles. Since the purpose of these mitzvot is to proclaim the miracle, we are obligated to perform them as publicly as possible.

In the Diaspora, the custom is generally to light the candles indoors, either on a table or in a window. In Israel, however, it is customary to place the Chanukiah at the entrance of the home, on the left side of the doorway.

A unique aspect of this mitzvah is that the obligation rests on the household, not the individual. For instance, a traveller or vagrant is exempt from lighting, as the mitzvah is tied to having a home.

These two elements—public lighting and the connection to the home—are rooted in the origins of Chanukah. The Hellenistic Greeks did not seek to destroy the Jewish people physically but aimed to erase their Judaism. Their decrees specifically targeted mitzvot practiced within the home, undermining Jewish tradition at its core.

When the Maccabees overcame the Hellenists, they established a mitzvah that symbolised not just a military victory but the spiritual triumph of Judaism over Hellenism. The Jewish home, the heart of Jewish ideals and values, became the focus of this mitzvah.

While schools and communal institutions play a role in passing down Jewish values, it is in the home that these values are truly nurtured and internalised. Therefore, the mitzvah requires lighting the Chanukah candles at the entrance of the home, symbolising that the light of Judaism begins within and radiates outward.

Just as the mezuzah, placed on the right side of the doorway, reminds us that our homes are protected by Hashem and that our material blessings come from Him, the Chanukah candles, placed on the left (the right side as we exit), remind us that the spiritual values cultivated within the home must shine out into the world.

Chanukah is not only a celebration of a past miracle, it is also a reminder of the enduring role of the Jewish home in preserving and spreading our spiritual light.