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When lighting the Chanuka candles, I understand that they generally need to burn for a minimum of 30 minutes. Is there any requirement for the person who lit the Menorah to stay around for a certain amount of time? Or can s/he just leave immediately?

(safety issues aside; let's assume others will be watching the fires)

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  • I respectfully disagree with the nature of this question. After all, if you lit and the candles became extinguished, then you already accomplished the mitzvah of hadlakah with the initial kindling (assuming you didn't light them initially in a place that was windy or something like that). Although it is still a good thing to rekindle the flames, a new blessing is not recited upon this because you already lit the Neirot shel Chanukah. So why would there be any obligation to stay around if there is not mitzvah involved in doing so?
    – Adam Mosheh
    Commented May 1, 2012 at 6:10
  • @AdamMosheh Not necessarily. It could very well be (and the answers imply that it is) a separate idea of staying around afterwards - even though one has already fulfilled the obligation.
    – yydl
    Commented May 1, 2012 at 21:05
  • Wouldn't you get cold standing out there?
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Dec 13, 2017 at 14:44
  • @DoubleAA Staying around can also just mean standing inside the house and watching the Menorah from a short distance.
    – yydl
    Commented Dec 14, 2017 at 3:38

2 Answers 2

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Nitei Gavriel on Chanukah (30:1) cites Shev Yaakov and other sources that one should indeed do so.

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One remains close to the lights for about half an hour (except for erev Shabbos). - Sefer Haminhagim (Chabad)

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