Light Your Fire: What Does the Menorah Symbolize?

The Menorah stands for light, wisdom, and Divine inspiration. In this period of darkness, we welcome the approaching Festival of Lights and the timeless lessons of the Holy Menorah.

Originally, the Menorah was a seven-branched candelabra beaten out of a solid piece of gold that served as one of the sacred vessels in the Holy Temple. It stood in the southern part of the Temple and was lit every day by the High Priest. Only pure, fresh olive oil of the highest quality was suitable to light the Menorah.

As its unique design communicates, the Menorah endures as a symbol of Divine light spreading throughout the world. To this end, God commanded that the Menorah’s goblets be turned upside down on their stems, emphasizing the importance of spreading light to others. This design reflects the Menorah’s exact purpose in the Holy Temple, which was to spread the light of Godliness to the entire world.

CLICK HERE TO SEE A BEAUTIFUL COLLECTION OF MENORAHS FROM ISRAEL

The Seven Lamps of the Menorah

The seven lamps of the Menorah also allude to knowledge, with six of the branches representing human wisdom, guided by the center branch of Divine light. The Menorah’s design and the ideas it communicates endure as an inspiration for universal enlightenment.

Since God dictated the creation of the Menorah from 100 percent pure gold, our sages deduced that we must strive for “solid gold” with regard to our motives and behavior. In other words, our shining character traits on the inside should reflect the holy actions we take on the outside, and vice versa. In this way, the Menorah teaches us to bring out every soul’s inner Divine light so that we shine internally and externally.

The Menorah’s structure also inspires us to embrace holiness. The Menorah begins with a central stem that branches outwards, just as our demeanor, behavior, personality, and especially good deeds should branch out and influence others to illuminate the world around us.

Contemporary Uses

Even though our Holy Temple was destroyed, a Menorah must still be lit in every Jewish home on the holiday of Chanukah. Although today’s modern 9-branch Chanukah Menorahs are quite different from the original one used in the Temple, they still share the same basic function of spreading light.

When the Talmud asks, “What is Chanukah?” the Rabbis’ answer focuses on the miracle of the oil. We light a menorah, according to the Talmud, to commemorate the miracle of light, which is the purpose for which the holiday is celebrated. The laws and customs observed on Chanukah, especially the lighting of the Menorah, are designed to publicize the fact that Hashem performed miracles then, and continues to perform wonders in our personal lives.

As a reminder of the values that are the Jewish Nation’s very essence, the Menorah lives on as a powerful symbol for the Jewish people and the entire world.

The Israel Menorah Collection

Apropos of the season, the Israel Boutique offers unique and beautiful Hanukkah menorahs and gifts. The Menorahs are fit for lighting during the Festival of Lights, with each one connecting to the story of Chanukah in a unique way.

1. JERUSALEM STONE MENORAHS – These Menorahs’ unique designs and exquisite details are handcrafted from authentic Jerusalem stone. As the material from which the Holy Temple was built, this stone is a reminder of our eternal connection to Jerusalem. What better way to celebrate Chanukah and the victory of our return to the Holy Temple than with a Menorah made in the Holy Land from the same type of materials!

2. ‘ROCKETS INTO ROSES’ MENORAHS – Hand-sculpted works of art, fashioned by metal sculptor Yaron Bob, these Menorahs are made from actual rockets that landed in Israel. The artist has literally transformed instruments of death and weapons of war into meaningful objects of great beauty. This is exactly the message of Chanukah, on which we celebrate light and truth, and the defeat of the enemies.

3. MENORAH COMMEMORATIVE COINS – Jerusalem Coins are commemorative treasures crafted with uncompromising quality, elegance, and beauty. Depicting the seven-branched Temple Menorah on one side and the City of Gold and the Holy Temple on the other, these magnificent coins tell the story of Chanukah’s miracles. After the Jews defeated the Greeks, they returned to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem where a miracle occurred. They found only enough oil to light the Menorah for one day, but the light burned bright for eight days!