Interesting read, however, I deeply disagree. In general, not sure why only the Beis Yitzchak's reasons are shared, given how there are a number of different reasons (ranging from the fact that electricity shares nothing in common with the core components of the menorah (neither whicks, oil or flame) to the fascinating - the nature of electricity means the 'flame' is constantly being regenerated and thus doesn't last the prerequisite 30 minutes (see shut har Tzvi - since my write up here is less nuanced)) but even the second reason of the Beis Yitzchak is very much the point.
Look at an electric menorah in a room, it's lost among the myriad of electric lights in a room. Flame stands out. It's qualitatively different in a way that catches the eye and arrests us...
Yes a big public electric menorah in the town square (or on the roof of a car ) has its place... But ultimately the pirsum nes needs to be to ourselves as well, to our families, starting in the home and emanating outward. And a flame is uniquely suited to do that.
On your first point—yes there are other responsa, but I read the ones that quibble about the definition of "flame" as trying to find an out—much in the same way that the responsa about electricity on Shabbat are clearly stretching to find a legal argument.
On the second point—maybe a bonfire stands out. Maybe we should be lighting bonfires. Candles empirically do not, at least in America. Our society is expert at creating eye-catching light displays and candles almost never figure into them.
Is this now a competition with the Christians? Why would we feel the need to do our holiday the same way they do theirs? I appreciate the low-key way Chanukah is celebrated in the public sphere.
Interesting read, however, I deeply disagree. In general, not sure why only the Beis Yitzchak's reasons are shared, given how there are a number of different reasons (ranging from the fact that electricity shares nothing in common with the core components of the menorah (neither whicks, oil or flame) to the fascinating - the nature of electricity means the 'flame' is constantly being regenerated and thus doesn't last the prerequisite 30 minutes (see shut har Tzvi - since my write up here is less nuanced)) but even the second reason of the Beis Yitzchak is very much the point.
Look at an electric menorah in a room, it's lost among the myriad of electric lights in a room. Flame stands out. It's qualitatively different in a way that catches the eye and arrests us...
Yes a big public electric menorah in the town square (or on the roof of a car ) has its place... But ultimately the pirsum nes needs to be to ourselves as well, to our families, starting in the home and emanating outward. And a flame is uniquely suited to do that.
On your first point—yes there are other responsa, but I read the ones that quibble about the definition of "flame" as trying to find an out—much in the same way that the responsa about electricity on Shabbat are clearly stretching to find a legal argument.
On the second point—maybe a bonfire stands out. Maybe we should be lighting bonfires. Candles empirically do not, at least in America. Our society is expert at creating eye-catching light displays and candles almost never figure into them.
But a bonfire was considered no good not just from the 20th.century, but from the very beginning... But I'm all for oil menorahs!
Is this now a competition with the Christians? Why would we feel the need to do our holiday the same way they do theirs? I appreciate the low-key way Chanukah is celebrated in the public sphere.