Can one read by electric lights, in a room where their is channuakh lights light, since inevitably his gettting some benift from the channukah lights although his main benift is from the electric.
-
I imagine you expected a more technical analysis than this one, but are you suggesting that one may not do any activity near a menorah that involves seeing, either with added lights or without them? That would limit us to either sleeping near the menorah or leaving the room. Can that really be the proper celebration of Chanukah?– ChaimMar 9, 2017 at 19:57
-
Why is this any different than reading by the light of the menorah when there is also a shamash?– DonielFMar 10, 2017 at 16:47
1 Answer
Kitzur seems to suggest that it is permitted to read by the Chanukiah with an electric light nearby since the reason we place the shamash by the other candles is to prevent one from benefitting exclusively from the Chanukah candles (139:14). However, Mishnah Berurah seems to prohibit reading by the Chanukiah regardless (673:15).