Q. See question 1556 above (I was stranded in an airport during Chanuka..) Another question. There was an airport menorah (next to a Christmas tree) that could be available, the electrical bulbs where a flickering flame-like reddish light. Is that good for Chanuka lights?
A. Question 673, mentions: “I’m doing my medical internship and I stay in the hospital overnight some days a week. Can I use a sodium battery powered lamp (sometimes used for medical examinations) for Chanuka lights? How about a Halogen light?
A. In question 667 of this forum we mentioned that in regards to electric lights Beis Yitzchok (Y.D. 1: 120) opines that they could be used instead of Shabbos candles but not as Chanuka lights since they lack pirsumey nissah. Poskim offer other reasons why electric lights do not qualify. One being that there is no actual fuel present at the time of lightning; it is constantly being generated at the power stations (Pekudas Elozor O.H. 23, Shmiras Shabbos Kechilchoso 43 n.22, et. al.) Accordingly they would permit the use of a battery powered incandescent light bulb. However, some Poskim do not regard the tungsten filament as a wick (Maharshag 2: 107, Levushey Mordechai 3: 59). Most Poskim would not sanction the commonly used fluorescent and LED lights for Chanuka use. Lehoros Nossan (11: 17) permits battery powered incandescent lights when in need and no other option is available, such as one hospitalized. Nitey Gavriel (Chanuk,a Teshuva 1) quotes Be’er Moshe’s opinion, that one should light the incandescent light without a brocho. Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit”a opinion is also not to recite a brocho even on battery powered incandescent light. The monochromatic yellow sodium lamp works by creating an electric arc through vaporized sodium metal. Although this lamp also contains a glowing filament, the focal light emanates from the vaporized sodium; therefore they are similar to fluorescent lights mentioned above. Halogen lights are basically pressurized incandescent lamps, and the glowing filament provides the illumination.”
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that since “Flicker Flame" bulbs are really neon glow bulbs with specially flame shaped electrodes. (They flicker mainly because of Paschen's Law. The breakdown and glow voltage depends on electrode separation. The breakdown and glow voltage depends on the pressure/density of the gas). This lights are more similar to the fluorescent lights above and should not be used as Chanuka lights.
The Rov added that one should avoid at all costs traveling during Chanuka outside of town, since there are many issues involved that can affect the compliance of the mitzva.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a
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