Hacham Ovadia Yosef is of the opinion that under extenuating circumstances, one may fulfill the obligation of Shabbat candle lighting through the use of electric lighting. Thus, for example, a person who must spend Shabbat in a hospital may fulfill this Misva by turning on an electric light in his room before Shabbat. (Hacham Ovadia argues in this regard with Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul, who held that electric lights cannot fulfill the obligation of Shabbat candles.)
This ruling gives rise to the question of how, or whether, a woman can recite a Beracha when lighting Shabbat candles if the room already receives ample illumination from electric lighting. Since the room already contains light which, strictly speaking, satisfies the requirement to illuminate one's home on Shabbat, the candles that the woman lights do not appear to bear any Halachic significance. Once the Misva is fulfilled through electric lighting, the candle lighting does not contribute anything as far as this obligation is concerned. How, then, can a woman recite a Beracha when lighting Shabbat candles in an illuminated room? (We addressed this question in a previous Daily Halacha, without reaching a definitive conclusion; see "Using Electric Lights as Shabbat Candles," dated June 19, 2008.)
Hacham Ovadia discusses this issue in his work Hazon Ovadia (Laws of Shabbat, p. 215), where he makes reference to a debate recorded in the Bet Yosef (Orah Haim, Siman 263). The case under discussion is a situation where many women light Shabbat candles in the same room, and the question thus becomes whether or not they all recite the Beracha. The first woman who lights candles certainly recites a Beracha, as she provides light in the room. The other women, however, light in a room that already has illumination, and it is therefore uncertain whether they should recite the Beracha. In fact, the Or Zarua (Rabbi Yishak of Vienna, 12th-13th century) left this question unresolved.
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Israel, 1910-1995), however, as recorded in the work Shulhan Shelomo, held that in the case of electric illumination, one may recite the Beracha over the Shabbat candles despite the presence of electric lights. Since the electric lights are not turned on specifically in honor of Shabbat, the candles that the woman lights indeed contribute an entirely new dimension – light in honor of Shabbat – and thus fulfill the Misva. As such, the woman may recite the Beracha. This ruling is in contrast to the position of Rabbi Eliyahu Mani (Baghdad-Israel, 1824-1899), who held that a woman should first extinguish the other lights in the room before kindling the Shabbat lights, as otherwise the Shabbat lights would not fulfill the Misva.
As for the final Halacha, Hacham Ovadia rules (listen to audio recording for precise citation) that a woman should preferably extinguish the lights in the room before lighting the Shabbat candles, and then turn them back on immediately after lighting. Of course, this is on condition that she does not accept Shabbat as she lights the Shabbat candles. Furthermore, the woman should have in mind while reciting the Beracha that the Beracha applies also to the electric lights that will be turned on immediately after the kindling of the Shabbat lights.
Summary: Before a woman lights the Shabbat candles, it is preferable for her to turn off the electric lights in the room where she lights. She should have in mind while reciting the Beracha that it should apply also to the electric lights, which should be turned on immediately after she lights the Shabbat candles.
