Shulchan Aruch Chapter 670:
Things that are Permitted and Prohibited on Chanukah (3 Paragraphs)
REMA in Brackets []

1.  On the 25th of the Jewish month of Kis'laiv begin the eight days of the festival of Chanukah.  It is prohibited to eulogize or to fast during this time.  However, it is permitted to do work.  The custom of women is to not do work while the candles are lit {1}.  There are those who say that one should not mitigate them. 

2.  The large extravagant meals that we make on Chanukah are considered a voluntary meal; for they did not establish (a decree) to eat a meal or to be festive.  [Others say that there is a small Mitzvah in eating large meals since at that time there was a dedication of the Temple {2}. Our custom is to sing songs, recite praises and to make a large meal for then it is considered a Mitzvah meal (Se'udat Mitzvah) {3}.  There are those who recommend eating cheese on Chanukah since the miracle came about through the milk that Yehudit fed the enemy {4}.]

3.  One may not make a Eulogy during this time with the exception of a wise man in his presence.  [One may not fast if his father or mother died during this time.  For the laws of a fast made for a (bad) dream, see later in 568:5.  For deciding on a court case see The Laws of Rosh Chodesh Ch. 420 and in 683.

____________________
{1} M.B:  Because the miracle occurred through women.  It is talking about while the candles in one's home are lit.
{2} Lit. "dedication of the alter"
{3} M.B:  Any meal where one sings praises to G-d, does a Mitzvah or publicizes a miracle is considered a Mitzvah meal.
{4} M.B:  "She was the daughter of Yochanun the High Priest.  At that time there as an evil decree that any women who got engaged was to first sleep with the royal dignitary.  She fed him cheese to make him tired and then chopped off his head.  Then they all fled."
____________________

Shulchan Aruch Chapter 671:
The Order of Lighting the Chanukah Candles and Where to Place Them (8 Paragraphs)

1.  One must be very careful to perform the lighting of the Chanukah lamps/candles.  Even a poor man who is entirely reliant on charity must borrow money or even sell his shirt to buy oil to use for lighting the Chanukah candles. 

2.  How many candles do we light?  On the first night we light one candle.  Then we add on one candle for each successive night until the last night of Chanukah where there are eight candles.  Even if there are lots of people in the house one may not light more candles.  [Others say that every man in the house lights (Rambam) and so is the regular custom.  One must be careful to give everyone a Menorah in a separate spot in order that it should be recognizable how many candles are being lit that night.]

3.  A Menorah with two distinct mouths {1} counts as two candles.

4.  Consider the case where one fills a vessel with oil and surrounded the inside with wicks.  If one turned upside down a vessel over it then all the wicks count as one.  However, if one did not turn a vessel over it then it does not even count as one lamp.  The reason is that it is considered like a torch.  [Therefore one must be careful to arrange the candles in an even line and not in a circle (for if these requirements are not met) then it would be like a torch.  It is permitted to light threads called "Lafa" after all the candles are at largely different levels then their neighbors.  One must be careful upon lighting the candles, even if they are on the same level, not to light them at the same time since it would be like a torch.  Even with the Shabbat candles and Yom Tov candles one must be careful not to do this.]

5.  The Menorah should be placed at the entrance closest to the public thoroughfare outside.  If the house has a doorway to the public thoroughfare then one places it at the doorway.  If there is a courtyard in front of the house, then one should place it at the entrance of the courtyard.  If one lives on an upper floor that does not have a doorway that opens to the public thoroughfare, then one should place it on a window next to the public thoroughfare.  In a dangerous situation where one is not allowed to perform the commandment, then one should place it on his table, and that is sufficient.  It is necessary for there to be one (extra) candle for one to make use of the light.  If one has a torch (in the room) then one does not need the candle.  But if one is a distinguished man who is not accustomed to work in the light of the torch, he also needs another candle. {2}

6.  The Menorah must be elevated from the ground at least three handbreadths.  For the commandment, it should also be below ten handbreadths from the ground. {3} However, if one placed it above ten handbreadths, one fulfills the commandment.  But if was above twenty cubits (Amot) then one does not fulfill the commandment. [Even if one took a lit lamp and brought it below 20 cubits it is invalid since the act of lighting is what fulfills the commandment.]

7.  For the commandment it should be placed within a handbreadth close to the doorway on the left side in order that the Mezuzah should be on the right side and the Menorah on the left side.  But if the doorway has no Mezuzah then one should place the Menorah at the right side.  If one puts the Menorah on the door itself, one should place it on the left half of the doorway.  [However, in our times where we all light indoors and it is not at all noticeable to the public in the public thoroughfare, we are not careful to light within a handbreadth close to the doorway.  Never the less, if one has such a custom to place the Menorah within a handbreadth close to the doorway as in those times, one should do so and not change.  That is, except when the majority of one's household prefers to light in a solitary place where they are able to light the candles together (properly) for when the candles are lit together (in the doorway) it would not be distinguishable how many candles are lit.  One should be careful not to light the Menorah in a place where one normally lights candles throughout the year.  For it would then not be noticeable at all (that they are Chanukah candles).  Even though it would not be noticeable only for members of that household, still it becomes a little noticeable {4}.]  In the Synagogue, they place the Menorah on the southern wall [or to the south of the (usual) Menorah and we arrange the arms east to west].  We also light the Menorah and recite the blessings in the Synagogue in order to publicize the miracle. [One may not fulfill his obligation with the lighting performed in the Synagogue.  One must light the Menorah again in his home.  We have the custom to light the Menorah in the Synagogue between the Minchah and Ma'ariv prayers.  There is the custom to light on the eve of Shabbat before the Minchah prayer.  If the Cantor lit one candle and the situation occurred where he was in a rush to start reciting the prayers, the attendant of the synagogue may light the rest of the candles while the Cantor begins reciting the prayers.]

8.  A courtyard that has two doorways to two different areas, one must light a Menorah at both of them because of suspicion.  However, if the two doorways faced one area [and they were in one house] then one Menorah is enough if placed in one of the entryways. [If one lights two Menorahs for two doorways, one recites a blessing only on one of them and the second Menorah is lit without a blessing.  But in our times where everyone actually lights indoors and it is not noticeable at all by those who pass by the public thoroughfare, even if one had many doorways to many different areas, we only light once.  This is what I think and such is the simple custom.]
____________________
{1} Lit. "two mouths".
{2} He is a distinguished wealthy individual who is accustomed to using lots of light in order to perform his activities.  For him, a torch in the room is not enough for his activities he will also make use of the Chanukah lights.  So more light is needed for him.
{3} A handbreadth is 3 to 4 inches.  A cubit  is 18 to 24 inches.
{4} The literal translation of the last few words are confusing but in general he is saying that it is invalid if one lights the Menorah there one normally lights candles throughout the year.
___________________
ShulchanArach.com
Translated by Dr. Jay Dinovitser D.O.
Free for Personal Use Only                         12/09