- Q. An elderly friend that is now constantly living in a retirement home, and always lit the menorah during Chanuka, wants to know if he can by turning on the florescent light next to his bed comply with the mitzva and make a brocho?
On question 414 regarding lighting in a hospital we wrote; “Most Poskim rule that you should not recite a brocho on an electric menorah since it lacks a proper wick and therefore does not conform with the definition of “hadloko” or lighting. It also lacks an existing fuel supply, since the necessary electricity is not stored but rather it is constantly being generated. (Bais Yitzchok Y.D. 1: 120 & 2: 130, Levushey Mordechai 3: 59, Yaskil Avdi 3: 17, Nitey Gavriel ”“ Chanuka 18: 23 et. al.).
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit”a opinion is likewise, but he permits, when no other possibility exist to light with a brocho on a battery powered electric menorah.
On Shailah 673 we received the following question:
“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 (so
To what we answered: “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 Pirsumei Nissah. or recognition with the Chanuka miracle 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. Nitei 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.”
In our case, the patient should acquire a battery flashlight with bulbs that have a glowing filament and then light it without a brocho.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by, Horav Yaakov Hirschman, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit'a
Important Numbers
