Each year, with the arrival of Chanukah, persons wishing to spend time in hotels in Israel face the halachic realities of candle lighting and hotel regulations, which prohibit on lighting a menorah in one’s room. As such, Rabbi Menachem Pearl of Zomet Institute, is turning to hoteliers in Eilat, which attract many guests during Chanukah, to find a halachically suitable location for guests to fulfill the mitzvah of lighting candles. Rav Pearl explains he has received many inquiries from persons wishing to go to Eilat for Chanukah, and they are concerned that hotels will not accommodate proper candle lighting.

Due to fire regulations, guests in hotels are compelled to light in a designated area outside of the dining room, which does not fulfill the mitzvah according to poskim. Most hotels have tables outside the dining room or now some have set up in lobbies.

Rav Pearl is asking to make accommodations for one to light in a dining room near one’s table, to permit one to view the candles during one’s meal. If this is not possible, and if one cannot light in the dining room inside a glass enclosure (aquarium type box), in or in proximity to one’s room, one should light with an electric light in one’s room.

A pocket flashlight is suggested, since it provides light to the immediate vicinity, or alternatively, an electric candle providing their light is to the sides as well, and not just a unidirectional electric light so one can fulfill the requirement of ‘pirsum haneis’. One may even make a bracha in this case, Rav Pearl explains, as HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ZT”L and HaGaon HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliyahu ZT”L instructed soldiers to do, regarding lighting with the use of electric menorahs connected to a car battery for the mitzvah, and permitted them to recite a bracha. He cites a similar psak was also released by HaGaon HaRav Mashash ZT”L. He concludes he probed the matter with HaGaon HaRav Yaakov Ariel Shlita, who told him this is how one should conduct oneself.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)