Electric Chanukiah | Rabbi Shai Finkelstein | December 16th 2025

‏First the of the week of חנוכה is dedicated in memory of יעקב מנחם בן יוסף אליעזר פנחס בן אברהם הכהן הדרצני רביעי של חנוכה רבקי רוזנברגי שפירו just because ofחנו we going to do something little different but very applicable for many people who travel through and we will talk הדלקת נרות חנוכה בחנוקיה חשמלית can light candles with electric חנוקיה it's obviously very applicable on on airplane. I don't think you want to try to use candles. ‏in room is public in the dining room so a bit and also will say פילות שאמרו חכמים אין מדליקן בהם בשבת מדליקים בהם בחנוכה ‏So the list of all types of oil ands that you can use on חנוכה. And gives some kind of a principle ofנים שאמרו חכמים אין מדליקים בהם בשבת. ‏meaning the oil different types of oil that you are not allowed to use on shabbat why because they don't burn well and we are afraid what that you will try to reindle it or it will create smell בחנוuka you can you can see a use them onuka now we know few things before we if if you are the rab and I will come and ask you rab can I light candles with electric candle what would you ‏It depends right now obviously the guiding question that we need to ask ourselves is what's the nature of the right why do we light candles and therefore what is the material that we are allowed to use right now we also know that we have other candlesי שבת we have הבה candles and we have candles. ‏Yes, we have also candle but not it's not from the yes so the idea and not from the so the idea is what is that we also need to when we discuss this question we also need to try to compare to so I just want to ask you a question can you shales with electric candles in the hospital you have ‏on a ship electric so did you say on it you think you did okay very good okay so now it's interesting right now by the way when you look at the is what להדליק של חנוכה right so the question is is electric electricity ‏are okay so the idea is what is that what exactly do we want to achieve but we also remember that what that part of the miracle was that they found a little jar of oil and from there they what they kind all the candles. ‏some of j of oil right that also mentioned inuk so theim really because only question that discussed only the from the last century right and this century because before that it was not really applicable so עובדיה יוסף so רב עובדיה says the forming לכאורה יש לומר שממה שהזכירו פתילות ושמנים נראה שבנרות חשמל אין יוצאים נרות אין יוצאים ידי חובת נרות חנוכה הועיל ואין כאן לא שמן ולא פטילה ומשום דבין דומיה דמנורה של בית המקדש שנעשה בהנס so רב עובדיה says it seems to be that the answer should be what no why a because we mentioned שמנים oil ופטילות weeks okay that's ‏B and with electricity obviously there is no oil B it needs to remind us the menora of the menora of the המקדש was with what with oil however he says ואין אמת שראיתי פשוט בית יצחק שנשאל בדין כלי שהשמן דולק בו בלא פטילה רק שמונח שם טס קטן הוא זכוכית קנה חלול דק בתוכו אם יוצאים בזה ידי חובת נורות חנוכה אודילמה באיין דומיה דמנורת בית המקדש היה בשמן ופתילה והשיב להקל בזה so he says in בית יצחק בית יצחק is from the 19 century from גליציה רבי יהודה יצחק שמלקיש שמלקיש i think he lived in 1827 something like that in can i use oil חנו of the he says that's a little different because there is still what you have ‏You have but with electricity we have nothing so then he saysרמה שיוצאים ידי חובת נרות חנוכה בנר שעווה כמו שכתב אליהו רבא ושכן פשט המנהג שניהם שהשאבה עצמה חשובה כאין שמן ואפילו לעניין שבת הסכימו רוב הפוסקים להקל so then he says like that he say רגע ‏If we talk aboutה what will be if we say that you need to have פילה can you use candles we know that we do >> או יפה מאוד he says yes נכון we don't really use qu on ממש שמן but the candles themselves are what are made out ‏quid more even though it was it was a bit different but still with electricity it doesn't work yes what differ incandescent and led אה talk about little bit I hope little bit later. ‏So he says גם הלום ראיתי למהרים משש בשוט מים חיים we are in the third paragraph שהיא דברי הגאון טהרת השולחן שנסתפק אם יוצאים ידי חובת נרות חנוכה בנר חשמל והניח בצריך עיון ועיר על זה שלא ידע מדוע צריך עיון אם מהשום שהשמן שהנס נעשה בשמן הרי נהגו באשכנז לצאת ידי חובה בנרות שעבר מפני שאורן צלול כמו שמן והכנה מאורח חשמל שאין צלול ממנו וגם חשיב שפיר הדלקה גמורה שמדליק חשמל בשבת חייב לכן נראה לו להתיר או so now he brings another opinion that says that משט מים חיים says that you are allowed to use electricity and to say bra and why he says like that first and foremost why do we use shen so you will say because they found the what the jar of sh the jar of oil ‏no use because a very clear light therefore he says what can be clearer than oil electricity so therefore he says mission is accomplished the shen was just the material that they have in order to create a clear light but if i have a different ‏May by using electricity not really that's wrong why because if you turn on electricity on youיב why because ofה so you can't hold the string from both ends if you call itה you should call it also with what with חנוכה nice ‏You knowה mostly makes sense except when it does not but mostly does. ‏I think people when they look at they need to find a way that it doesn't make sense but no is really makes a lot of sense. ‏here and this is why this for you little different to give a bit of but also to try to present to you the pros and the regarding electricity using electricity for yes that's tru and all of them some of the candles are now are ‏made out of weak weak wax and not oil but so they do have little bit of that but also and why do we use them because mostly orangul right the light is nice also i will just tell you just in practicality we also know that sometimes not talking about the premade oil little things that we put in theukia but back back then when you had to pool oil you remember that one i ‏is for hour and stingy whatever it is right the when you use a you know for sure that it will last at least for what for half an hour so therefore in terms of practicality sometimes it's even better to use the candles rather than the oil yes little things that look like cand ‏Aha. I mean, you're not turn them off. Would that be the same thing on giving? So that's exactly the question. ‏Electricity doesn't mean only just to flip the you know the the metic the switch but it's also to use those things. So now the question is battery versus electricity and why I'm saying that electricity will not end until unless there is what חשמל. Right? Battery can run out. Okay. That's a question. ‏and also how the light comes about we can about little bit later. And the electricity would agree with you little bit brighter and nicer. Yes. Now, then he says ובאמת שאין דומה כלל לשאו שעל כל פנים היא ניתכת כי זדונק מפני הש ואבל כמו שמן. מה שאין כן בני חשמל שאין בו אל הזרם וכיוון שאין כאן שמן מן לי מלן שיוצא בזה ידי חובת נרות חנוכה וכן ראיתי לרב כף החיים שכתב אם מותר להדליק בחשמל לנרות חנוכה נראה שיש לאסור משום שלא הביא זכר לנס שהיה על ידי הדלקת שמן ופטילה ובזה אין כי עם אור בלי ממשות והעוד שהשישית מלאה אור ואבי כן מדורה שאין עולה אפילו לנר אחד so he brings other אחרונים ‏on is focus on something to do with not about the way not you know many people I think talk about a bit is that you know many institutions they להדליק שעשה ניסים about you did not candles and the only חנוuk that you see is this electric חוק that did that any other institution put on ‏So on one hand you have n but on the other hand it's not exactly for the n right so have that in mind we will talk about it so the says from everything I told you before רבים ושלמים וכן מאחוני דורינו שאין יוצאים לידי חובת נר חנוכה בהדלקת נרות חשמל ויש פנים הנראים בהלכה כדבריהם ולא לא יהיה אלא ספק אין ניכנס בספק ברכה לבטלה רב עובדיה in a very nice way in an intellectual way look i can hear both sides the problem is when you have a doubt and it comes to a bra do you don't make it whenever you have a doubt if you need to say braח not unless is medora which ברכת המזון אין ברכת התורה with all the rest of the if you have a doubt you do not recite the כבר ידוע מה שכתב הרן בתשובת הריבש שהרי אפילו בעסקי העולם כל משכיל בוחר לנפשו הדרך היותר בטוחה ושמורה מכל נזק ומכשול ואפילו באפשר רחוק והלכת קמה וכמה שיש לנו לעשות כן בדברי התורה והמצוות שהן כבשונו של עולם ‏agreed by and one that agreed by only few go with the flow right just follow the majority and says therefore says most of the post scheme are against electricia there are some allowing it so what should you do like what you do in your regular life you will follow the majority ‏electric חנוקיה ולכן נראה לי שאף מזדמן שאין לו שמן או שעוה לנרות חנוכה ולא נשאר לו ברירה אלא להדליק נר חשמלי לשם מצוות נר חנוכה יש להדליק החשמל בלא ברכה so then he says if you have no choice you didn't have oil you came to the store nothing and there is no oil and also you don't have what candles can you recite a ‏on electric חנוקיה רב עובדיה no you can use it you can it but do not recite a bra if you are on airplane and exactly take off when זמן הדלקה what you do what you do don't call me what you do you are on the third ofה ‏You picke after you panic יפה you take three tees או חנוקיה חשמנית that you can buy and you like it and you don't say but you can still say what mouse okay you can still say mouse to and you can eat the thing is you just ‏Don't recite a bra that's according to and really the principle the guiding principle for this issue is what I have a doubt how to make the ps and therefore it will affect the bra that I'm not going to recite because I don't want to go into this doubt. Okay, so that's the guiding principle. Now again why can't I use electric חנוuk? ‏It's not oil does not resemble betש and does not reminds us the miracle. In favor, the light is clear we don't need to reinact the oil idea. We just need to create light and light with electricity is wonderful. Good. In משפט, הרבן ציון חי אוזיאל. He discussed the issue of הדלקת נר שבת או חנוכה. בחשמל soתי למיסה no אוקיי למסine no ולעניין חנוכה הוא אילו לדברי הכל הדלקה עושה מצווה אין נר החשמל מוציא ידי חובת מצוות הדלקה. So I need to give an introduction. The תלמוד תלמוד מסכת שבת discuss the issue of what makes theה theנחה you with me? אוקי theחנו not higher than 10 met because to tall now if you are in the third floor okay and it's more than I'm talking about from the floor not from the ground okay so you need to put the חוקיה no more than 10 meters ‏people 25 high so obviously I didn't fulfill my obligation right then I took it down and I put it exactly the right ‏Did I fulf my obligation? It depends. If we say, what is the to light it? And the location is important but to light it. By the way, this is the language of the חנוכה. If you say, that where you place the חנוקיה. ‏So then I don't care how you it just I need what the location says בן ציון חיוזל he says if we say that הדלקה עושה מצווה that to light the חנוקיה the so then electricity does not work that's what he says ולכן הרועה he is going to retract it in a minute ולכן הרואה נרחנו כזה אינו מברך עליו שעשה ניסים ושחיינו כיוון שהודלק שלא לשם חנוכה במקורו, הרי זה כאילו הדליקו מי שאינו חייב במצוות חנוכה שאין במעשיו כלום. So therefore he says let say you did not see anyות חנוכה you like candles. You have no candles. And you walk and the only חנוקיה that you see in the street is an electric חנוקיה. You do not recite and on the first night. Why? Because this חנויה does not count. ‏That's what he says at the beginning. However, אחרי כותבי זאת after IT לידי ספר דרכי שלום. I someh I got a book דרכי שלום. שהביא משם הגאון רישמי לבוב דיכול לברך להדליק נר של שבת בנר חשמלי אבל אינו יוצא בו במצוות נר חנוכה. ואין ספר זה מצוי במחיצתי. לעיין בדברי קודשו ולהניו דעתי נראה שאין לחלק בין שבת לחנוכה למדקמלן שגם בשבת יש בו חובת הדלקה so then he says he saw in this book that the says that you are allowed to use electric candle for to recite a braha but not onuka and he says i don't understand the difference do you understand the difference שבת for you are allowed to use electric candle but not forה so what do we do here okay so maybe you know even though there is an idea of shen oil using oil candles on but there is something very very ‏Ok very good why do we you always need to ask yourself what the purpose of what we do why do we shabat candles for a miracle no is that because we found little jar of oil no bite and especially in the old days no electricity nothing only eat ‏is is lighting candles and by the way they will not candles only in the dining room they will light candles also in different rooms in wild not to stumble therefore what do I need on light so who cares if it comes from what form oil candles or electricity that's theה when it comes to חנוכה it's not about what exactly the opposite not allowed to use אין לנו רשות להשתמש בהם אלא לראותם בלבד. ‏I can use electricity so this is the rejected but definitely what a valid you don't ‏need to do it. I mean, it's maybe a good minha. I don't know, but there's no need to do it. Yeah. Um, it might be because you wanted to use the sham for another maybe you use the sha to light the shab candles. So maybe just one because you did one you want to do another with it. Also, it saves another match. ‏Yes. זה interesting. ‏So then maybe you can't use things like but then I would say maybe electricity is a good thing. ‏my ‏Interesting. Yes. Leave a light unless you can do it only with the sham and the sham is separate from the candles. Yeah. Okay. So, yes, I can't hear you. ‏Theumisa the persumisa can be done by whatever candle you want right so the thing is that it's not meaning the schem did not use it as an excuse or justification for any of the sides of the question meaning we are we all understand that electricity might be even a better but the question is can you use them in order to lightיה אוקיי, סעיף ג' אחרי שבררנו שאין הדלקת נר חשמל מוציא את המדליק ידי חובת נר חנוכה, ממילא יוצא שאין הדלקה זו פותרת את אלה שלא הדליקו עליהם בביתם ואין צריך לומר לאלה שאינם קובעים חנוכה בביתם כלל. ולכן הרואה נרות אלה ביום ראשון של חנוכה אינו מברך עליהם שחיינו הועיל ולא נתקנה ברכת שחיינו על הזמן השנתי שבו נעשה הנס אלא על הזמן שבו אנו מקיימים מצווה זו והדלקה חשמלית זו אינה מצווה so he is like establishing his opinion says no no for electricity and therefore you can say br on it and even if you didn't see any menor nothing the entire night and the only menora that you see is electric אלקטרקה חנוקיה noך whatsover even שעשה ניסים שעשה ניסים אינד שחיינו not שהחיינו שחיינו חנוכה it's not on the on the נרות and because electricity is not considerת you cannot say even which by the way in all other even if you have wine and have a cup you can say on the ‏and א או אולם לעניין ברכת שעשה ניסים לאבותינו וקצא שחיינו בתבטבות שעשה ניסים זה שיש מקום לומר שכן יברך הועיל וסוף סוף הדלקה חגיגית זאת נעשתה בנת לשם פרסום מניסא אולי היות שגם ברכה זו כבר החכמים עם הדלקה של מצווה יש לומר שברכה זו על הדלקה שאינה מוציאה ידי חובת מצווה זאת תהיה בגדר ברכה לבטלה לכן ראוי לברך ברכת שעשה ניסים בלא שם ול מלכות I'm going to translate and explain he say look when you see electric חנוקיה can you say להדליק נשר חנוכה no can you say שחיינו no can you say שעשה ניסים you know what maybe yes because there is a bu you ask your הניצנים turn on electric חנוקיה because ofה there is really he does that here he put all the together before the which means there is some kind of inner connection between all three of them they are all connected someh to the lighting itself and therefore because I already established what that electricity does notllace you שם השם electric חנוקיה and you חנוקיה before what do you say שעשה ניסים לאבותינו בימים האם בזמן הזה without ברוך אתה השם אלוקינו מלך העולם אוקיי >> שבת you can do with it's better with oil but if you need החשמל you נכון need א אוקיי בית יצחק בטחק on page 3 says אין יוצאים ידי חובה בהדלקת נר חשמלי he can't fulfill your obligation with electric חנוקיה because of ששמן זית מצווה מן המובחר because only מצווה מן המובחר regular candles also ועוד כיוון שנעשים להדליק בכל ימות השנה this is a very interesting reason because you use electricity all year long it's not being distinguished that חנוקיה רגע noting about little that I have here. I bought an incredible silver electric חנוקיה. Amazing one I don't use it during the year. I using I'm using it only for what? For for חנוכה. ‏So both reasons are קצת ככה ככה אוקיי רב שלמה זמןבח מאורי אש and really with electricity on you know just give you short introduction theחזally thought את הדלקת אש הדלקת אור בשבת של זמן discus in maximum but other things icon an icon for what forול ‏youor came to him I would like to generator because I don't want to rely on חברת חשמל because maybe there is a jew there is going to operate it and he is going to be and therefore I'm going to want to use a generator. ‏Je foring about to be your wife on so a jew to a generator. זמן so he ייתכן דלא בינדומ דמנורה שהדליקו בהחשמונאים במקדש אלא למצווה מן המובחר חנוקיה and שמן and oil it's nice but it's only מצווה מן המובחר means what extra but not what we call אומר דפא שמן בלי פטילה כשר מכל מקום פטילה בלא שמן אפשר שלא משום שעיקר הנס היה בשמן ולא בפתילה ואם כן אפשר דבנן דווקא שמנים רב שלמה זמן בחס you know what i don't have anything against electricity but i think that the idea ofה בחנוכה is because of what because of the oil meaning again the purpose is to remind us the miracle not to create light create light is secondar ‏o הרב מלמד in פני הלכה said the following לאחר שנתגה החשמל התעוררה שאלה after the electricity was discovered there was a question האם אפשר לקיים את מצוות הדלקת נרות חנוכה בנוראות חשמליות can i use themuse ‏electricity חנוק electric חנוקיה to fulfill my מצווה למעשה דעת רוב הפוסקים שאין יוצאים ידי חובת המצווה בנורות חשמל מפני שאין הן נחשבות כנר שאין בהן פטילה ושמן most of the most of theic authorities basically think that you cannot fulfill your with electric חנוukה because they not consider as what s oil ועוד שהועיל והורם חזק מאוד יש לחו שהם נחשבות כאבוקה ולא כנר. Now he adds another reason. He says because the light is so strong from electricity it looks like a what is avchuk it cannot be a like that right? Why? Because it's like a torch. It's look like a medfire. ‏Also, if you need to create your own you cannot attach the close to each other it needs to be distinguished. And why? In order to show that this is a candle. Therefore, says the he says this is another reason. Electricity sometimes it's too bright, it's too strong and people will not be able to see that this is a candle. כן חנוקיות חשמליות today that are like a regular חנוקיה and just have instead of they have what separate electric candles. ומהרן הרב קוקסצל כתב כיוון שהחשמל לא נתגלה בעת שתיקנו חכמים את המצווה אינו נחשב כאחד מסוגי הנרות שכלולים בתקנת חכמים שאפשר לקיים בהם את המצווה. ‏He brings Rook and Rook says that because electricity was not did not exist at the time of the rabis and when the Rab gave you a list of what you can use in order to fulfill your obligation electricity was not part of them it's not allowed electrices they have and they קטניות >> אומזה נכון קטניות כיניות also not at the time of the sock and choose we obviously understand that this is a bit of a bit of a problem however ואמנם לעניין נר שבת asked about נר שבת דעת רוב הפוסקים שבשעת הצורך איך אפשר לקיים את המצווה בברכה בהדלקת נורה חשמלית? ‏on שבת if you need need need not want need to use electric electric candle for you are all to do it and withניה the opinion of the majority of the מפני שעיקר תפקידו של נר השבת להעיר purpose of candle is to what is to create light אולם נר חנוכה נועד להזכיר את הנס לפי כך חלב להיות דומה לנרות המקדש says there is a difference ערב שבת when you candles for light so who cares if that's or not better but you can do it if you need howeverות חנוכה because it's only about lightה you need to reinct the miracle וכיוון שנורה חשמלית אינדור לנר אין יוצאים בידי חובת אבל בדיעבד כשאין לאדם נר קשר retractively if you don't have a koser candle אוקוש השמן או you can't ידליק נורות חשמליות בלא ברכה you should electricity withoutה שעל ידי כך יזכיר את הנס by doing that you will remember the miracle ולדעת מקצת הפוסקים אף יקיים בכך מצוות בכך את המצווה ישנוגים להעמיד במקומות ציבוריים חנוקיות גדולות עם נורות חשמל שורה נראה למרחק רב says there are people who have a custom to put electric חנוקיות that basically shine מכל מקום יש בזה מעלה שדיך מזכירים לרבים את נס חנוכה חנוקיות people about חנוכה now if you don't have candles for can you use electric candles yes can you say a braha חנוקה if anyהר הבדלה so now how do we now if you are the and you need to think right you need to think so what will be my the question that need to ‏Why do I Why do we have separation? You can do it on the wine. Why do I need you creating fire? And why do I want to create fire on? ‏So why not to cook something on what that was the first creation of that's what said the first thing that did after he took two stones and he start you know whatever rubbing them and then the spark came and he created light that's what we do and that we also do ‏create all so he created fire now can you make on regular on your candle that you kind on frid you on your candle on frid can you do on this candle can i add a little candle to ‏What did we say? We said is to remind us of what? Of a creation of a new fire not to use what? An existing fire. Right? When can we use an existing fire? יום כיפור. ‏the end of we do on what on which means that was what that was lit was kind before so therefore when i talk about so what do i need to do i need to create a creation soning a switch do i create something sure i do right i create a little circle different ‏Bobs can have a question here. Okay. And then what do we have? So I need to create a fire. Okay. So I need to create something by switching a light. It might it might address that issue. B it needs to look like avoca right you remember that needs to have what? At least two weeks. Now is electricity fulfill that obligation? ‏So on one hand we saw that it looks like a according to who was it? M but at the same time we know one light so maybe it does not fulfill it. Okay. So because you are with me with the different sides to the nדa so if that's true what do you think? ‏What do you think will be the de for using electricity for that we will need to say that you might use it but you ‏cannot recite a brah on it because of now I don't remember who but I think it's one of the salikim but I'm not sure so I don't want to say he had an opinion that you can use and you should use electricity I don't know I don't remember who I think it's one of the Salovics but I'm not sure who and I'm not sure if that isovic or not he thought that you ‏electricity for and the only used for was electricity okay and he recited the in order to show that you can do it but many of the otherem said no now you all understand that there is a little bit of a problem here if you tell me that I'm not allowed to you turn on electricity on it means what that ‏fire for so in conclusion according to everyone besides few נרות חנוכה you can't use electricity you cannot recite a bro on it you might say שעשה ניסים without a ‏either but you can't why because you need to have a reactment of the miracle and you need to do something that resemble the המקדש if you don't have and you use electric candles you can do it and you can say we have again the same debate and probably will say ספקות להקל that's for today חג חנוקה שמח