Laws of Chanukah II

1. To make a Chanucah party not focussed on Torah and praise of Hashem is a misconception of the holiday.
2. It is important that the lights of Chanucah should be visibly separate, not too close together.
3. If one has no windows that face the street one should light in the house, preferable on a table less than forty inches from the floor and more than a foot off the floor.
4. First, place the menora in proper position, then light.
5. Preferably it should be placed at the entrance of the room with the mezuza to the right and the menora to the left.
6. The lighting time is about 40 minutes after sunset, but in an emergency or on Erev Shabbos one may light even an hour before sunset.
7. If one lights before the proper time, enough oil should be in the cup to burn for a half hour after the proper lighting time. If possible, it is best to put enough oil to last until an hour and a half after sunset.
8. If one lights after the regular lighting time, then the oil should burn, at least, one half hour.
9. One may, in an emergency, light any time during the night, but the brocha should only be recited if the family members are still awake.
10. One should not benefit from the lights. Therefore, the shammosh should be larger or higher to indicate that it, and not the other lights, is being used. This also applies after the required time for the lights to remain lit has passed.
11. If old wicks create a better light, they could be used.
12. The custom is not to light one Chanucah light from another.
13. A woman whose husband lights on her behalf need not light. Otherwise, she is obligated to light, as is a single woman.
14. All the brochos are recited before the actual lighting. If one forgot before starting to light, then they may be recited until he finishes lighting. If one forgets altogether to make the brochos until after all the lights are lit, one may still recite the two brochos, "sheaso nissim" and "shehecheyanu", but not "lihadlik ner".
15. The lighting is from left to right, but the lights are arranged from right to left.
16. The mitzva of lighting is so precious, one should even sell ones coat to procure money to fulfill this mitzva.