{"id":5874,"date":"2010-02-12T08:00:20","date_gmt":"2010-02-12T06:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=5874"},"modified":"2017-07-17T08:20:07","modified_gmt":"2017-07-17T05:20:07","slug":"05-12-08","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/05-12-08\/","title":{"rendered":"08. Electric Bulbs"},"content":{"rendered":"

After electricity was discovered, the question was raised: Does one fulfill the mitzva of lighting \u0124anuka candles with electric bulbs? In practice, most poskim<\/em> maintain that one may not use electric bulbs, because they are not considered \u201ccandles,\u201d which have wicks and are fueled by oil or wax. Furthermore, since they emit a very strong light, they may be considered \u201ctorches\u201d (avukot<\/em>), which have multiple flames, not candles (\u201cnerot<\/em>\u201d) which have a single flame. R. Avraham Yitz\u0125ak Kook writes that since electricity did not exist when the Sages instituted the mitzva, it is not one of the types of candles included in the rabbinic enactment that one can use to fulfill the mitzva (Mitzvat Re\u2019iyah<\/em>, o\u0125 673).<\/p>\n

It is true that regarding Shabbat candles, most authorities maintain that in a time of need one can fulfill the mitzva, with a berakha<\/em>, using electric lights, because the main purpose of Shabbat candles is to provide light. \u0124anuka candles, however, are meant to remind us of the miracle. Therefore, they must resemble the candles used in the Holy Temple, and since electric lights are not similar to candles, one does not fulfill his obligation by lighting them.<\/p>\n

Be-di\u2019avad<\/em>, if one does not have an acceptable candle, he may light electric bulbs, without reciting a berakha<\/em>. By doing so, he affirms the miracle and, according to a few poskim<\/em>, even fulfills the mitzva.[8]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Some have a custom to place large, electric menoras, whose light can be seen from afar, in public areas. Even though this does not fulfill the rabbinic commandment to light \u0124anuka candles, there is merit to this custom, because it reminds the public of the miracle of \u0124anuka.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n[8]<\/a>. Some A\u0125aronim maintain that it is possible to fulfill the mitzva of lighting \u0124anuka candles with electric lights. R. Yosef Messas ruled accordingly in Responsa Mayim \u0124ayim<\/em> \u00a7279. R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Halikhot Shlomo<\/em> 15:3) maintains that if there is no alternative, one may turn on a flashlight and recite a berakha<\/em> over it (because its filament is similar to a wick). However, most poskim<\/em> maintain that electric bulbs may not be used as \u0124anuka candles, though when there is no alternative one should light them without a berakha<\/em>. See Yabi\u2019a Omer<\/em> 3:35, which summarizes the various opinions. The A\u0125aronim discuss these distinctions. R. Avraham Yitz\u0125ak Kook writes in Mitzvat Re\u2019iyah<\/em>, o\u0125 673: \u201cSince they did not exist when the Sages enacted the mitzva, one could say that they are not included in the list of \u2018candles\u2019 upon which the enactment took effect. We find a similar idea with regard to the rabbinic enactment of [nidda<\/em>] \u2018stains,\u2019 where we determine [the halakhic status of a bloodstain] based on [the size of] a louse of their time.\u201d The distinction I presented between Shabbat candles and \u0124anuka candles is explained in Responsa Har Tzvi<\/em>, o\u0125 2:114, and elsewhere. See Peninei Halakha<\/em>: Shabbat<\/em> 1:4:5, which states that one may recite a berakha<\/em> over an incandescent electric bulb on Shabbat in a time of need.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After electricity was discovered, the question was raised: Does one fulfill the mitzva of lighting \u0124anuka candles with electric bulbs? In practice, most poskim maintain that one may not use electric bulbs, because they are not considered \u201ccandles,\u201d which have wicks and are fueled by oil or wax. Furthermore, since they emit a very strong […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-05-12"],"yoast_head":"\n08. Electric Bulbs - Peninei Halakha<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/05-12-08\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"08. Electric Bulbs - Peninei Halakha\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"After electricity was discovered, the question was raised: Does one fulfill the mitzva of lighting \u0124anuka candles with electric bulbs? In practice, most poskim maintain that one may not use electric bulbs, because they are not considered \u201ccandles,\u201d which have wicks and are fueled by oil or wax. 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