Menorah Lighting Advice

I'm Sephardic and I've always used an oil menorah and lit the candles according to my community's custom (left to right + middle candle lit last using individual match/candle). This year I'll be using wax candles, should I light them according to my custom & light all the candles with an individua candle or match, or should l or use the shamash/middle candle to light the other candles?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

By the sound of your question, the halacha/custom on this issue is the same for both Ashkenazim and Sefardim.

Whether one uses cups of oil or wax candles for the Chanuka menorah, the lights should always be lit with a shamash candle. As it is not really possible to have an oil shamash, a wax candle shamash is used even when lighting a menorah consisting of cups of oil. When using such a menorah some people prepare a “shamash spot” oil cup and light it after lighting the other candles with the wax candle. Some keep the wax candle as the one and only shamash and place it on the menorah in the shamash spot even though the rest of the lights are oil. In all instances the shamash is to be placed at a recognizable distance or distinct position from the rest of the candles. In most families the shamash is placed at a higher point than the rest of the candles.

In other words, a match is best not used for lighting the Chanuka candles. A shamash candle is always to be used. Every menorah should have its own shamash.

The shamash candle is the first candle to be lit and it should be lit before one begins reciting the blessings. It may be extinguished if need be after 30 minutes past nightfall even if one did not perform a stipulation to do so prior to lighting the candles.

OC 673 with commentaries