Can you fulfill the mitzvah of נרות חנוכה by lighting an electric menorah?

Answer:

The Talmud in Shabbat (21a) says that while there are certain types of oils and wicks that are not suitable for Shabbat candles since they do not burn nicely, they are suitable for neirot Chanukah. The Rambam and Shulchan Aruch quote this as halacha. Based on this, it might seem that any type of menorah is suitable for Chanukah, including an electric one. Perhaps you could argue that the light from an electric menorah could be even nicer than one of oil.

Rav Ovadia quotes two reasons that some poskim have for arguing that you could not fulfill the mitzvah with an electric menorah.

1.     שו׳׳ת בית יצחק says that you cannot fulfill the obligation on Chanukah with an electric or even a gas menorah because olive oil is the clearly preferred type of menorah, it is the מצוה מן המובחר.

2.      Moreover, since you use electric lights all year round, it would not be so recognizable that you are lighting for Chanukah and thus not be considered פירסומי ניסא. As such you could never light these types of menorot with a bracha.

Rav Ovadia questions the above points:

1.     He reasons that the words of the Rambam are that שמן זית מצוה מן המובחר, that an olive oil menorah is the best possible way to do this mitzvah, but that does not mean that other menorot are not valid?

2.     He also questions the point that we are so accustomed to electric lights today that it would not be recognizable. He says one could simply light the menorah in a different place than the indoor lighting is usually placed. Moreover, today everyone lights with an actual menorah which is clearly recognizable as special for Chanukah.

Rather, Rav Ovadia says there is another reason, the correct reason why one cannot fulfil his obligation by lighting an electric menorah. An electric menorah has no oil at all and no wick! The miracle of the oil of Chanukah occurred to the menorah in the Beit Hamikdash, which had oil that should only have been able to last one day and then miraculously lasted eight. So we have to do the mitzvah with something that at least hypothetically is the same. Electric Menorot do not have this, they can last forever, as long as the electricity is on. In short, our menorah has to be similar to the menorah from the Beit Hamikdash to fulfill the mitzvah with פירסומי ניסא. Rav Ovadia proceeds to quote over a dozen other poskim who concur with this halacha and reasoning.

One final argument that some poskim make is that you cannot say the words להדליק נר with an electric menorah; that is not lighting. Rav Ovadia argues with this point and says that lighting would be an appropriate language for electricity and in fact he says that on Shabbat, if one does not have regular candles or oil, you are permitted to fulfill the mitzvah of neirot Shabbat (not Chanukah) with electric lights.

Rav Ovadia concludes that while you are not fulfilling the mitzvah with an electric menorah, if you have no other oil or candles, you should light an electric menorah, but without a bracha.

(Summary based on שי׳׳ת יחוה דעת חלק ד׳ סימן לח׳)