Do you light IN your silver menorah?

amother

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 11:36 am

Most people that own silver menorahs that I know of, light with oil in small crystal/glass cups placed on top of the menorah.
We have done that for the past few years, but this year DH read that we are defeating the point of having a silver menorah as glass is not as "chushuv" as silver. He wants to start lighting oil placed directly in the menorah.
He is okay with disposable candle holders as long as they are large enough for the amount of oil he wants. He claims they aren't considered a separate כלי.
Anyone else that does this?

seeker

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 12:26 pm

I don't understand how glass cups would defeat the purpose, you're still using a chashuv silver holder for the whole affair... Where did he read this?

Miri7

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 12:47 pm

We use the glass cups.

I think that's because when the oil burns down in the silver, you won't be able to see the flame as well and so won't be publicizing the nes as much. With the glass cups the flame is visible to all until it goes out.

greenfire

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 1:21 pm

how are disposable candle holders any more choshuv than the glass ones that are made for this purpose ... besides a huge fire-hazard ... they are also not as pleasing to the eye as the glass

& they protect the menorah

if people want to come up with unwarranted chumras - at least don't put anybody in danger

BetsyTacy

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 1:25 pm

I wonder which man thought of this chumra. Nobody in charge of cleaning the menorahs would. The stickiness that the oil leaves on the menorah is not for the faint of heart. People did this in the "olden days"
(ha, ha --in my lifetime) before the glass cups became popular. Please don't popularize this idea. It would just be a burden for those who do the cleaning, and the inside of the silver cups will never look the same again.

busydev

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 1:56 pm

my father used to light directly in the cups... till they made rubber inserts to help the glass cups fit into all sized menorahs. it was a pain to clean. cleaning the menorahs took forever (as in days). had to soak in bubbles and wash and polish.

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 2:07 pm

BetsyTacy wrote:

Says who? My father lights directly in his cups, and he cleans his menorah himself. My mother actually just mentioned to me that she thinks this is the first year she watched my father clean his menorah!

OOTBubby

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 2:12 pm

amother wrote:

They cost thirty dollars to light

What costs $30 to light? Those prefilled oil cups? You can get them here for around $15.

But, we light olive oil in glasses (not the prefilled things) set into the silver menorah cups. We buy large jugs of olive oil. Cost is certainly not anything near $30.

STovah

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 2:38 pm

My husband started lighting in the actual silver a few years ago as he felt the hiddur was lighting in the silver, not in the glasses. It's his job to clean it though after Chanukah.

Hashem_Yaazor

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 3:37 pm

Oh, well. We don't even have the hiddur of silver in our house. I didn't know that was a halachic thing. I thought mehadrin min hamehadrin is to have everyone in the house light corresponding to all the days. Our chrome menorah I received as a freshman in high school with gift certificates from an incentive serves us well...and my husband uses the glass cups.

Chayalle

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 3:41 pm

amother wrote:

Did your DH hear the same shiur as mine? My DH also came home this year and told me he wants to light directly in his Menorah. I was not at all excited, as I fear both damage to the Menorah, and a very messy cleanup job.

In the end, DH asked Rabbi Forcheimer, a major Posek in Lakewood, and he said that lighting in little glass cups is fine, since they are considered "batul" to the Menorah.

seeker

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 5:02 pm

I am still waiting for someone to come forth with the source of all this...

Meanwhile for the person who raised the concern that you wouldn't be able to see the lights as they went farther down in the silver cups, you would use the wick holders that keep the wick at the top. There are a couple of basic types; I use the ones that go across the top of the cup. I use glass cups but prefer this type of wick holder because it looks nice, keeping all the flames at the same height, and it averts the problem of burn marks on the glasses because the flames are above the cups rather than in them.

amother

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 6:47 pm

My father inherited a menorah bought in Germany right after the war. the menorah has insertable silver cups that you put into the cups on menorah. They fit perfectly and you cant tell there is a seperate insert. and they even have a little wick holder so all the flames can be centered and made the same size. It is absolutely beautiful. DH lights in the glass but plans on commissioning similar cups from his menorah when we win the lottery.
(anonymous because people know my dad's menorah).

amother

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 7:44 pm

My father lights directly in the menorah with homemade cotton wicks.

Dh lights in the glasses attached to the menorah with ready made wicks, psil tzaf.

Quite a contrast... Smile

shanie5

Mon, Dec 15 2014, 8:32 pm

As I am cheap and have tried cleaning the glass, I found it easier to light in the silver. Cleaning the menorah when using glass was just as bad as cleaning the menorah without the glass. So for me, the glass is an extra expense and work I don't need.
I make my own wicks, and they stay at the top of the menorah so the flame is always seen.

Liba

Tue, Dec 16 2014, 7:33 am

When DH's menorah was brass and could be soaked, boiled, and scrubbed to get the oil out/off he lit in the menorah cups themselves.

B"H we now have a silver menorah and no, he will not be lighting in it! He is using disposable plastic pre-filled things (by far cheaper here in E"Y than you guys are paying there...) which might make the DH who was willing to use disposable foil holders happy. There are disposable and clear...