THE HANUKKAH MENORAH – MORE THAN A JEWISH GIFT

As opposite to a biblical seven-branched menorah used in services of a Holy Temple, a Hanukkah menorah is a nine-branched candelabrum, which is illuminated during a eight-day, winter legal legal legal holiday of Hanukkah. So from origin does a ninth bend come? The ninth bend is called a shamash, as good as it is used to ceremonially light a alternative branches.

From origin comes a disproportion in conditions in between Hanukkah menorah as good as Hanukiah?

Well, in a English-speaking diaspora – which is outward a land of Israel — a flare is ordinarily called a “Hanukkah menorah,” or simply “menorah” for short, given in Modern Hebrew it is called to a single side a chanukkiyah, as good as a Hebrew word menorah simply equates to “lamp” or “light bulb.”

Actually, a tenure “Chanukkiyah” was coined during a finish of a nineteenth century in Jerusalem by a mother of Eliezer Ben Yehuda, important for reviving a Hebrew denunciation in credentials for a initial of a complicated State of Israel.

A bit of Hanukkah History:

The Festival of Lights, Hanukkah celebrates a rededication of a Holy Temple in Jerusalem after a Jewish rebel opposite a Hellenistic, Syrian Seleucid monarchy.

The Seleucid Empire lasted from (312 – 63 BC). It was shaped by a eastern conquests of a former Macedonian Empire of Alexander a Great.

The Seleucids, underneath Antiochus IV sought to Hellenize a Holy Temple as good as a republic of Israel as good as Judea. When Judah as good as a Maccabees eventually dejected a revolt, a Temple had been exceedingly damaged. When they went to rededicate it, they found only sufficient oil left to irradiate a place for a single day – yet miraculously a flare burnt for 8 days

Famous Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, (37 – c.100 AD/CE), is a a single obliged for dubbing a holiday, “the legal legal holiday of lights.”

The 8 day Festival is celebrated by a firewood of a lights of a Menorah or Hanukiah. We light a single candle upon any night of a holiday, eventually surpassing to 8 upon a final night. The candles have been placed in a Hanukkah menorah from right to left as good as kindled from left to right.

Now, a demeanour of lighting a single a single some-more candle any night follows a perspective of a House of Hillel, (Hillel was a important Talmudic rabbi) as good as this is ordinarily supposed as Jewish law. The House of Shammai (another Talmudic Rabbi, good known for his consistent feud with a House of Hillel as good as stricter opinions) however did not concur. He reason which 8 candles should be kindled a initial night, afterwards 7 a second night, as good as so upon down to a single candle upon a final night. Today, this proceed is not ordinarily followed – if during all.

There is some-more stress too, to a series eight’s union in a Festival of Lights.



According to Rabbi Eliezer Posner:

…In kabbalistic teachings, a series 7 symbolizes soundness – soundness which is practicable around healthy equates to – whilst 8 symbolizes which which is over inlet as good as a (inherently limited) perfection…

…Eight, upon a alternative hand, is mystic of an entity which is a single step upon top of a healthy order, aloft than inlet as good as a limitations. That’s since Chanukah is 8 days long—the severely outnumbered Maccabees’ finalise to conflict a Greeks wasn’t judicious or natural. They drew upon reservoirs of conviction as good as bravery which have been not partial of normative tellurian nature. They thus deserved a spectacle aloft than inlet – a spectacle which lasted 8 days – as good as to honour this, you light upon Chanukah an eight-branched menorah…

Much a approach of Yuletide lights, yet not to pull any comparison, a menorah is mostly displayed in open around Hanukkah time, as good as which is since many people select to buy for themselves or as Hanukkah Gifts a many pleasing as good as perplexing china Menorahs or singular handmade Menorahs. In a United States, inaugurated officials infrequently experience in publicly lighting a menorah. The Chassidic Chabad-Lubavitch transformation is obvious for open lighting ceremonies, which it has finished given a gauge from their late Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, behind in 1987.

The Hanukkah lights can possibly be candle abandon or oil-fueled. Because a spectacle of Hanukkah happened with olive oil – a small cruse of oil which lasted for 8 days – an oil menorah is preferable to a candle one, as good as olive oil is a elite fuel. Cotton wicks have been mostly elite since of a well-spoken fire which they produce.

As settled before, at your convenience purchasing an essay for make use of in a mitzvah, such as a Hanukkah Menorah, you wish to buy a many pleasing a single which is inside of a means. If possible, you wish to go for a china menorah. Beautifying a mitzvah is a approach of expressing a high regard to G?d, as good as arrangement how dearly you reason His commandments –

Electric menorahs have been infrequently used as well. They have been good for arrangement purposes, contend to contest with a neighbor’s outside Yuletide tree.

But a Hanukkah lights used to perform a mitzvah should be genuine abandon fueled by, as prior to mentioned, polish or oil – so as to remind us practically of a abandon in a Holy Temple.

Happy Hanukkah as good as Happy Menorah Shopping!