סימן קלט סעיף י
זְמַן הַדְלָקָתָן, מִיָד בְּצֵאת הַכּוֹכָבִים, וְלֹא יְאֻחָר. וְאָסוּר לַעֲשׂוֹת שׁוּם דָּבָר קֹדֶּם הַהַדְלָקָה, אֲפִלּוּ לִלְמֹד. רַק אִם לֹא הִתְפַּלֵּל מַעֲרִיב, יִתְפַּלֵּל תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ יַדְלִיק. וְקֹדֶם שֶׁיַדְלִיק, יְקַבֵּץ כָּל בְּנֵי בֵיתוֹ לְפִרְסוּמֵי מִלְּתָא. וְצָרִיךְ לָתֵת שֶמֶן, שֶׁיִדְלְקוּ לְכָל הַפָּחוֹת חֲצִּי שָׁעָה. וּבְדִיעֲבַד אִם לֹא הִדְלִיק מִיָד, יָכוֹל לְהַדְלִיק בִּבְרָכָה כָּל זְמַן שֶׁבְּנֵי בֵיתוֹ נֵעוֹרִים. אֲבָל לְאַחַר שֶׁבְּנֵי בֵיתוֹ יְשֵׁנִים, תוּ לֵיכָּא פִּרְסוּמֵי נִסָּא, וְיַדְלִיק בְּלֹא בְרָכָה. אִם לֹא יִהְיֶה לוֹ פְּנַאי לְהַדְלִיק בַּלַּיְלָה, יָכוֹל לְהַקְדִּים אֶת עַצְמוֹ וּלְהַדְלִיק מִפְּלַג הַמִּנְחָה וּלְמַעְלָה, דְּהַיְנוּ שָׁעָה וּרְבִיעִית קֹדֶם צֵאת הַכּוֹכָבִים, וְהַיְנוּ שָׁעָה זְמַנִּית, לְפִי עֵרֶךְ הַיוֹם, (עַיֵן לְעֵיל סִימָן סט סָעִיף ב). וּבִימֵי חֲנֻכָּה שֶׁהַיָמִים קְצָרִים, אִם הַיּוֹם אָרֹךְ רַק עֶשֶׂר שָׁעוֹת עַל הָאוּהר (עַל הַשָּׁעוֹן), אֲזַי פְּלַג הַמִּנְחָה, הֲוֵי שָׁעָה אַחַת וּשְׁתֵּי מִינוּטִין (דַקוֹת) וָחֵצִי וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיִתֵּן שֶׁמֶן כְּדֵי שֶׁיִהְיוּ דּוֹלְקִים עַד חֲצִי שָׁעָה לְאַחַר צֵאת הַכּוֹכָבִים. וְאִם אֵינָם דּוֹלְקִים כָּךְ, לֹא קִיֵם הַמִּצְוָה.
The time to light [the menorah] is immediately after the stars appear,9Those who follow the halachic decisions of the Vilna Gaon, customarily light the candles at sunset. and you should not delay it. It is forbidden to do anything before lighting the menorah, even to study Torah.10It is forbidden to do any work from one half hour before the actual time for lighting. See (Shaar Hatzion 672:14) who indicates that this does not apply to Torah study. Except, if you have not prayed Maariv, you should first pray and then light the menorah.11Those who pray Maariv before lighting should have the menorah completely prepared with oil and wicks in order to be able to light them immediately after Maariv. (Mishnah Berurah 672:1) Before lighting the menorah, you should gather the entire family, in order to proclaim the event publicly. You should pour in enough oil to burn at least half an hour.12If you do not have sufficient oil to burn a half hour, you should light them without saying the berachah. (Biur Halachah 672:2) If, inadvertently, you did not light them immediately, you may light them and say the berachos, as long as the members of your family are still awake.13It is permitted in this situation only until day-break. (Mishnah Berurah 672:11) However, after the family is asleep it is no longer considered a public event, and you should light them without saying the berachos. If you will not have time to light the menorah at night, you may do it before that time and light the menorah from pelag haMinchah14You are also permitted to say the berachah. (Ibid 672:3), which is one and one-fourth hour before the stars come out, (these are "time-variable" hours, measured according to the length of daylight, see chapter 69:2 above. And in the season of Chanukah, when the days are short, the day is only ten hours long (measured by the clock), then pelag haMinchah, is one hour and two and one-half minutes before the stars appear). [You may kindle the menorah then] provided you pour in enough oil to burn until one-half hour after the stars become visible. If the lights do not burn that long you have not fulfilled the mitzvah.15In this case, you must light candles anew but without a berachah. (Biur Halachah 672:2)
תנא דבי אליהו כל השונה הלכות בכל יום מובטח לו שהוא בן העולם הבא שנאמר הליכות עולם לו אל תקרי הליכות אלא הלכות (נדה ע"ג.)