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The original
design for the seven-candle menorah is in the
Torah. The menorah originally burned olive
oil, not candles. The menorah was used in
rituals in the tabernacle (portable sanctuary)
and later the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Since
the destruction of the Temple, the menorah has
had no formal role in Jewish prayer services
or rituals. The presence of a menorah in some
synagogues is purely symbolic. Some synagogues
today use a lamp-stand called the "ner tamid"
to symbolize the menorah.
The
nine-candle menorah is used to celebrate the
Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Hanukkah
originally celebrated the Maccabees' defeat of
the superior Syrian army. However,
post-biblical Jewish tradition as recorded in
the Talmud describes that when the Maccabees
were rededicating the Temple, they only found
enough oil to light the menorah for one day. A
miracle occurred and the oil lasted for eight
days. To celebrate Hanukkah, one candle is lit
on the first night, two candles are lit on the
second night, and so on. The ninth candle, the
"shammes" (in Yiddish) or "shamash" (in
Hebrew), is a "helper candle" that is used to
light the others, and to provide light, since
tradition holds that one could not use the
Hanukkah lights to illuminate one's home.
 The
fate of the original Menorah is obscure. A
depiction is still available on the Arch of
Titus that still stands today in Rome.
It remained in Rome until its sack by the
Vandals in 455 A.D., but the Byzantine army
under General Belisarius took it back in the
6th century and brought it to Constantinople.
Here, the trail ends. It is not further
mentioned in any Byzantine chronicles, and one
can only speculate whether it remained there
until the city was sacked or was brought back
to Jerusalem.
Dates that
Chanukah falls on in the Gregorian calendar
Chanukah begins on the evening prior to these
dates.
December 8, 2004
December 26, 2005
December 16, 2006
December 5, 2007 |
