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Clarification for Chanukah candles and the International Date Line.

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Topic: Fruitful & Multiply, Non Jews?

Stuart@lovelace previously asked:

I will be traveling from LA, California to Melbourne Australia. I leave at 7:10pm on Monday 13 December and arrive in Melbourne at 1:00pm on Wednesday 15 December. I can light candles for he 6th night of Chanukah before I leave. The question is where do I light candles for the 7th night? I do not know if it will be light or dark when I cross the IDL.


Our previous answer dealt with assigning an agent to light the menorah at home on behalf of the traveler.

This answer is for a person who travels all night on and won't be able to light. But your case involves crossing the IDL, and it is considerably more complex.

Since it is likely that you will cross both the International Dateline and the "Jewish Dateline" after daybreak of the 7th day, it is possible that you will not experience the 7th night of Chanukah at all, thus not having the opportunity to perform the mitzvah. Therefore, if your agent should light your menorah for you without a bracha (the agent should of course recite the brachot when lighting in his own home.)

Recommended reading:

"Halachos of Chanukah", Rabbi Shimon Eider.

 
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