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Comments (0)The well-known Chanukah traditions include lighting the channukiah (or menorah), eating foods fried in oil (doughnuts and latkes) and playing dreidle games. Gift-giving came only in the 19th century. Today some folks select an electric channukiah instead of the traditional form, which is lit with candles or oil.
So is lighting with electricity good enough to fulfill what the ancient sages said was an obligation of every Jewish man and woman? Every traditional or Orthodox rabbi would rule “no.” Yet, the large public channukiot here, in Israel and elsewhere, are often electric.
Why isn’t such a channukiah good enough for the individual to fulfill this mitzvah. According to some rabbis, it’s because electricity constantly flows from the wall; they unanimously rule one must have enough oil/wax at the time of lighting, and cannot add later on. Also, electric candles don’t resemble the Temple’s candles as they don’t have an actual flame, or consume fuel in the same manner, and their fuel is not present at the time of lighting.
Objections have been raised against the above opinions, however, and some rabbis are lenient, especially in the case of an elderly person who might otherwise be unable to light.
By the way, a Chanukah bush remains out of the question!