On Friday of Hanukkah: which is lit first, the Hanukkah candles or the Shabbat candles?

Question: When Hanukkah falls on Friday, what is the correct order of lighting?

Answer:

The Ben Ish Chai rules that the Hanukkah candles are lit first and only afterward the Shabbat candles.

According to him, even when the husband lights the Hanukkah candles and the wife lights the Shabbat candles, it is proper for the wife to wait until her husband finishes lighting.

He explains that this order also has meaning according to Kabbalah.

What do you do when Shabbat is about to begin?

If it is the seventh or eighth night of Hanukkah, there are many candles to light and time is short, the wife may light the Shabbat candles after the husband has lit the first Hanukkah candle, without waiting for the whole lighting to finish.

What about the Minchah prayer?

The Ben Ish Chai emphasizes the following order:

1. Pray Minchah.

2. Light the Hanukkah candles.

3. Light the Shabbat candles.

According to him, the lighting of the Hanukkah candles should not be done before the Minchah prayer.

Important: all the lightings must be finished before Shabbat begins, and the Hanukkah candles must be prepared so that they can burn for at least half an hour after the appearance of the stars.