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| The Moriah plant growing on Mount Moriah. It releases it's fragrance in the heat of the day. |
It says in Exodus 30:7-8 that Aaron shall burn fragrant incense; every morning when he tends to the Temple Menorah, "he shall burn the incense, and when he lights the lamps between dusk and dark, he shall burn the incense; so there shall be a perpetual burning of incense before the Lord for all your generations.”
The temple menorah is explicitly described, in two places in Exodus, chapters 25:31-38 and 37:17-24, with a stem and six branches beaten out of pure gold into one piece and adorned with 22 almond-shaped calyxes with knob and flower.
The "menorah" we light on Hanukkah is distinctly different than the menorah created in the Sinai wilderness for the Tabernacle. On Hanukkah, the Hebrew word meaning "dedication," Jews light the nine-branched candelabra called a "Hannukiah." The temple Menorah has 7 branches.
After the Greeks desecrated the Temple, they prohibited it to make replicas of the Temple’s seven-branched menorah. That is until Juda Maccabius and his brothers fought to win our freedom, rebuild and reconsecrate the temple in Jerusalem. The story of the Books of Maccabees is remembered and told with a "new Menorah," in some sense, a new song.
Chabad explains why there are straight branches on the New menorah?
Hannukiot (plural) have eight branches, plus a "Shamash candle." Shamash is Hebrew and means "servant." We light the Shamash candle first and it is used to light the other candles on each of the eight nights. On the first night we light the Shamash and one candle. Each night we light the Servant candle and one additional candle so "the light increases." The candles are loaded from right to left, as you face the Hanukkia but are lit from left to right. Link to Hanukkah Prayers
Ideally, the Hanukkiah is placed in a window that is publically visible to commemorate the victory of the Maccabees over the Selucid Greeks and the purification of the Temple in the year 165 BCE. The Light of the Hanukkiah, symbolic of the Light of God, his Holy Word, is to go out into the world.
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| Famous image of Hanukkiah displayed across from a Nazi headquarters. |
On the back of the photograph above is written the following inscription:
Chanukah 5692 (1932)
"Death to Judah"
So the flag says
"Judah will live forever"
So the light answers
There is no biblical description of the Hanukkiah, and you will find a plethora of modern interpretations in all sorts of shapes and configurations. One of the most traditional shapes looks a lot like a plant in the sage family found in the Sinai desert called the Moriah Plant. It grows on the mountain it is named after. (See photo above.)
The moriah plant is shaped like the menorah and as you can see, the center stem is taller than the four branches on each side. It is a plant releases it's fragrance in the heat of the day. Consider again what it says in Exodus 30:7-8 that Aaron shall burn fragrant incense; every morning when he tends to the Temple Menorah, "he shall burn the incense, and when he lights the lamps between dusk and dark, he shall burn the incense; so there shall be a perpetual burning of incense before the Lord for all your generations.”
Christmas is always on the 25th of December, but Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew calendar month of Kislev. It generally falls in December but not always. This year 5783 (2022), the first day of Hanukkah begins in the evening of Sunday, December 18th and overlaps Christmas.
Chag Hanukkah Semeach and Merry Christmas.
P.S. Spring, Passover and the true New Year are just around the corner.
