Menorah

Seven Branch Menorah

Each year Jews all over the world remember the miracle of victory of the Jews over the Greeks in the year 165 B.C.E. All over the world Jews can be found spinning dreidels, eating latkas and lighting a special eight branch candelabra called the Channukiah. Most often the Channukiah is lit in people’s windows so that any passerby’s can see the light and remember the miracle. In addition to the celebration of the victory in war, the Jews are commemorating on Channukah the miracle of the oil in which a small amount of oil lasted for eight long days, and kept the ancient Menorah lit until new oil was brought to the Temple. Consequently, the Channukiah is list for eight days.

While we are commemorating Channukah by lighting the Channukiah, there is actually one major difference between the modern day Channukiah and the ancient Menorah. The ancient menorah found in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was made had only seven branches. The Old Testemant teaches us that the Menorah, which was approximately the height of an average man, was carved out of a single piece of solid gold. As clearly delineated in the Bible, there were three branches on each side, with one taller branch in the center. The Menorah stood on the southern side inside the Sanctuary of the Holy Temple in the Old City of Jerusalem. When the seven lamps were lit all of shined towards the center. The rays of light emitted from the Menorah were considered to be particularly spiritual. The ancient Talmud teaches, that because of the lights unique spirituality, the windows in the sanctuary were constructed so that this light would emanate out of the temple and into the world.