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The bracha Shehechiyanu is supposed to be said only once during Chanukah, namely upon the first lighting (which is usually the 1st night unless someone was unable to light on the 1st night.)

The candles are lit in shul also, and a bracha is said in shul. However, a person does not fulfill his obligation via the lighting in shul, and he must relight when he arrives home.

Being that the person who lit in shul has already said Shehechiyanu in shul, does this not count at all, since the actual mitzvah is to light at home, does this mean that he can and should say Shehechiyanu when he arrives home - meaning he would say it twice in the same night?

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  • "Shehechiyanu is supposed to be said only once during Chanukah" Source? Maybe it's just generally said once?
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Dec 20, 2016 at 22:36
  • Note Shehechiyanu could be recited on seeing the candles as well in certain circumstances.
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Dec 20, 2016 at 22:43
  • @DoubleAA I'll see if I can locate a source. But, I wouldn't generalize that Shehechiyanu is said just once for each mitzvah occurrence. We see that for lulav it is only once. But it's not once for either Shofar or Megillah. There may be different rules occurring there. It may warrant a separate question.
    – DanF
    Commented Dec 21, 2016 at 21:41
  • most communities only say it once on megillah (eg. most sefardim, yemenites, yekkes, vilna gaon, etc.)
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Dec 21, 2016 at 21:42
  • related posts about shofar and lulav and sukkah
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Dec 21, 2016 at 21:54

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Sha'arei Teshuva on O.C. 671 sk 14 says that if one has lit at home first, said Shehechiyanu and then lights in shul, he should say Shehechiyanu in shul. However, if he lit in shul first and said Shehechiyanu there, he should not repeat it when he gets home unless he is fulfilling his wife's obligation by lighting for her.

(I'm not quite understanding the reason why the shul lighting is considered more important with respect to Shehechiyanu)

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  • Probably because the Tzibur needs to have a shehechiyanu represented on the first night, so for that sake, it needs to be said even if that particular person doesn't need to.
    – David Kenner
    Commented Dec 21, 2016 at 4:44
  • @DavidKenner It's an interesting argument. I'm still trying to gain a batter understanding of what the bracha is for. Is it the lighting or the pirsumei nissa. If it's the 1st notion, then, I don't know why brachot are made in shul altogether.
    – DanF
    Commented Dec 21, 2016 at 21:38

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