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Must Chanukah (חנוכה) candles burn for thirty minutes if lit during windy conditions? The shiur develops a machlokes Rishonim on whether the mitzvah (מצוה) is creating light (requiring stable flames) or commemorating the Temple menorah (where only proper lighting matters). The Rambam (רמב"ם)'s approach resolves that the half-hour requirement serves pirsumei nisa, not the core obligation.
This shiur begins with a practical question about Chanukah (חנוכה) candle lighting in windy conditions. If one lights candles when there is no wind but wind is expected within a half hour (ruach matzuya), is the lighting valid? The speaker questions whether temporarily blocking wind with one's body and then installing glass protection afterward satisfies the requirement that candles burn for a half hour. The discussion moves to analyze Gemara (גמרא) Shabbos (שבת) 21a-b, which discusses unstable flames that may go out. The Gemara states that such lights are forbidden both on Shabbos and Chanukah, leading to the principle "kaf zeh ain zachek lo" - if it goes out, one is not obligated to relight it.
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Shabbos 21a-b
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