15 April, 2024 07:47

Before doing many mitzvos we say a berachah. If you are the type of person who pays attention, you would have noticed that sometimes we say asher kideshanu b’misvosav ve’tzivanu l‘… for example before we put on tefillin (shel yad) we say l’haniach tefillin. Yet, for other mitzvos we say asher kideshanu b’misvosav ve’tzivanu al … for example before searching for chametz on the night before Pesach we say al bi’ur chametz. What is the rule? When do we say l‘… and when do we say al?

There are many different approaches. One approach (Ran) is that when fulfilling a mitzvah that can be done through a shaliach (agent) we say al, whereas when fulfilling a mitzvah that the person has to do himself and cannot use a shaliach, then we say l’.

This does not seem to work. Chanuka candles can be lit by a shaliach and yet the berachah we make is l‘hadlik ner shel chanuka!

Different answers are suggested. Since it is the norm to light the candles oneself because the mitzvah is dear to us, it is treated like a mitzvah that cannot be done through a shaliach (Rosh). Another solution is that the oil needs to belong to the person who is fulfilling the mitzvah (Mei’iri, but he does not like this answer).