Ben Carter
The menorah is a symbol of Judaism and the Jewish people. The ancient menorah had seven branches, one for each day of Creation, and burned oil in the Temple in Judea. The Hanukkah menorah, also known as a hanukkiah or chanukkiyah, has nine branches, eight for each night of Hanukkah, and a ninth helper candle, called the shamash, used to light the others. The Hanukkah menorah commemorates the miracle of a small group of Jews, known as the Maccabees, who reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and miraculously found that one day's worth of oil lasted eight days.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of candles | 9 |
| Type of candles | Candles or oil lamps |
| Arrangement | 8 candles in a row, 1 helper candle (shamash) set apart |
| Lighting order | Right to left, lit from left to right |
| Placement | Outside the house, in a window, or on a shelf |
| Timing | After sundown, with adjustments for Shabbat |
| Duration | 8 nights |
| Number of candles lit per night | 1 additional candle lit each night |
| Total number of candles needed | 44 |
| Number of blessings | 3 on the first night, 2 on subsequent nights |
| Recitation of blessings | Before lighting the candles |
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What You'll Learn
The shamash candle
The Hanukkah menorah, with its nine branches, is distinct from the traditional seven-branched menorah used in ancient temples. The shamash candle is a unique feature of the Hanukkah menorah, symbolizing the miracle of light and the triumph of the Maccabees over the Greeks.
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The eight main candles
The Hanukkah menorah, also known as a hanukkiah, is a nine-branched candelabrum lit during the eight-day Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Eight of the nine branches hold candles that symbolize the eight nights of the holiday. On each night, one more candle is lit than the previous night, until the final night when all eight branches are ignited. The ninth branch holds the shamash, or "helper" candle, which is used to light the other eight. The shamash is placed at a different elevation to the eight main candles and is usually offset on a higher or lower plane.
The Hanukkah menorah commemorates the ancient Temple menorah, which had seven branches and burned oil. The seven branches represented the seven days of Creation, and the lamp was never supposed to go out. According to the Hebrew Bible, the menorah was made of pure gold, and only fresh olive oil was used to light the lamps.
The miracle of Hanukkah is celebrated through the lighting of the menorah. When the Jews reclaimed the Holy Temple from the Greeks, they found that the Greeks had contaminated almost all the oil. Only one day's supply of pure oil remained, yet miraculously, it lasted for eight days and nights.
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How to light the menorah
The menorah is a symbol of Judaism and the Jewish people. The traditional menorah is a seven-branched candelabrum, but the Hanukkah menorah has nine branches. The Hanukkah menorah, also known as a hanukkiah, is lit during the eight-day holiday of Hanukkah. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to light the menorah:
Preparation
Before lighting the menorah, it is customary to place it in a window facing the street so that passers-by can see it. The candles should be placed in the menorah from right to left, but they are lit from left to right. The shamash, or "helper" candle, is placed in its designated spot, usually in the centre, and is used to light the other candles. On the first night of Hanukkah, only the shamash and one other candle are placed in the menorah. On each subsequent night, an additional candle is added, so that on the final night, all nine candles are lit.
Lighting the Menorah
The blessings are said before the candles are lit. In Ashkenazi communities, the shamash candle is lit first, then used to light the other candles, starting with the left-most one. In Sephardi communities, an extra candle is used to light the other candles, and the shamash is lit last. The shamash is not blown out but is left lit in case it is needed to light another candle.
Timing
The menorah is lit at nightfall on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. However, there is an exception when Hanukkah overlaps with Shabbat, as lighting a fire during Shabbat is forbidden in Jewish law. In this case, the menorah is lit before the Shabbat candles on Friday evening while it is still light out. On Saturday night, the candles are lit after Shabbat has ended, but there is no consensus on whether this should be before or after the havdalah rituals.
Blessings
On the first night of Hanukkah, three blessings are recited, and on each subsequent night, two blessings are said. The blessings are as follows:
> Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah. Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who made us holy through your commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights.
> Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in those ancient days at this season.
> Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has given us life and sustained us and enabled us to reach this season.
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The history of the menorah
The menorah is a multibranched candelabra used in the religious rituals of Judaism. It has been an important symbol in both ancient and modern Israel, representing the Jews and Judaism in the Land of Israel and the Jewish diaspora. The word menorah means "lamp" in Hebrew, and the menorah is said to have originated in the second century B.C.E.
The seven-branched menorah was originally found in the wilderness sanctuary and later in the Temple in Jerusalem. It is described in the Hebrew Bible as having been used in the Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem, and it is said that God revealed the design for the menorah to Moses. The menorah was made of pure gold, and the only source of fuel allowed to be used to light the lamps was fresh olive oil.
The menorah stood approximately 1.62 metres (5.3 feet) high, and there is some debate over the shape of its branches. While the branches are often depicted as semicircular in art, some sources suggest that they were straight. The menorah was placed in the antechamber of the Temple sanctuary, and there is some dispute over its exact orientation.
Following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, the menorah was taken to Rome, and it was depicted on the Arch of Titus, which still stands today. It was reportedly taken to Carthage by the Vandals after the sacking of Rome in 455, and its eventual fate is unknown. The menorah became a popular symbol of Judaism, and it has been used to distinguish synagogues and Jewish cemeteries from those of other faiths.
The Hanukkah menorah, or hanukkiah, is a nine-branched variant of the menorah used during the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Eight of the nine branches hold lights (traditionally oil lamps, but today often candles) that symbolize the eight nights of the holiday, with one additional light being lit each night. The ninth branch holds the shamash, or "helper" candle, which is used to light the other eight.
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Hanukkah traditions
Hanukkah, also spelled "Chanukah", is an eight-day Jewish winter festival that usually falls in December. It commemorates the reclaiming and rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the second century BCE, following a period of Greek-Syrian occupation. The word "Hanukkah" means "dedication".
The Menorah
The menorah is a candelabrum with nine branches, eight of which hold candles or oil lamps that symbolise the eight nights of Hanukkah. The ninth branch holds a candle called the shamash, or "helper", which is used to light the other eight. The shamash is placed at a different elevation to the other candles. The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left and are lit from left to right.
Many Jewish families celebrate Hanukkah by lighting a menorah, giving out gelt (the Yiddish word for "money"), and eating cheese and other foods cooked in oil, such as sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), bimuelos (fried dough puffs), sfenj (North African yeast doughnuts), and keftes de prasas (fried leek patties). The miracle of the oil is symbolised by the lighting of the menorah, and the Festival of Lights is celebrated by bringing light and warmth into homes and communities.
In the United States, Hanukkah became a more visible festival in the public sphere from the 1970s. Since 1979, the White House has been represented at the lighting of the National Menorah in Lafayette Park. Beginning with President Bill Clinton in 1993, a hanukkiah is lit at the White House, and in 2001, President George W. Bush began the annual tradition of a White House Hanukkah Party, which includes a hanukkiah candle-lighting ceremony.
In Israel, cities and towns hold public menorah-lighting ceremonies, and many Jewish families follow the candle-lighting ceremony with traditional Hanukkah songs, playing dreidel, eating gelt or sufganiyot, latkes, or opening gifts.
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Frequently asked questions
A menorah has nine candles: eight candles in a row, and one helper candle, known as a shamash, which is set apart from the others.
The shamash candle is used to light the other eight candles. It is placed at a different elevation, either higher or lower, or off to the side.
The menorah candles are typically made of wax. However, historically, the menorah was an oil lamp, and some people continue to use oil wicks instead of candles.
