The Menorah plays a significant role in Judaism.
And The Jews celebrate Hanukkah every year to remember that miracle where one jug of oil that lit The Menorah managed to last for 8 days.
Allow us to explain all about The Jewish Menorah...
What is a Jewish Menorah?
A Menorah (also known as a Hanukkiah) is a very powerful and dominating symbol in Judaism.
The Menorah in The Mishkan was an extremely big and beautiful Menorah. A piece of art.
From all the parts of The Mishkan, The Menorah was The Holiest One. Every part was Holy but The Menorah was known to be The Most Holy.
There are two aspects to The Menorah that make it stand out so much compared to everything built in The Mishkan.
- It is the first and only part of The Mishkan that was built and not done by The Artist that were part of building The Mishkan. It was done By G-d
All the rest of the parts they had human artists there with Divine Inspiration, to build the other parts.
- The Menorah served as a testimony, for all the people who came from around the world, that The Shekhinah (Femine Aspect of The Divine) is dwelling specifically amongst The Nation of Israel.
Because during the time of The Mishkan, 40 years into the desert, and another almost 500 years before they built The First Beit Hamikdash, people from other nations came as saw what was going on. Later on when Shlomo Hamelech built The Holy Temple, people from other nations came and saw Beit Hamikdash and what was going on There.
Other nations would also come for their sacrafices.
So, The Menorah was a symbol for all the people who were coming from all around The World.
There was a certain miracle with The Menorah. There were 7 branches, but one of the branches, was called 'The Candle From The West'
And the 'The Candle From The West' was the candle that was the furtherest candle, in the corner of The Menorah.
This one candle would burn for 24 hours a day.
How did this work?
The Cohen Gadol, started in The Mishnah with Aaron Hacohen, would light The Menorah Candles in the evening, and they would burn all night, and in the morning they would go out.
And This 'Western Candle' was a miracle that it kept on burning without any oil.
Jewish Menorah Facts
The Midrash says that Moshe Rabbenu could not figure out how to build The Menorah.
4 Times, Moshe Rabbenu told HaShem that he does not know how to do it. And HaShem Showed him 4 times how to do The Menorah and Moshe still could not do it.
Until one point, G-d Took a coina and Threw it into The Fire and out of The Fire came The Menorah. So, this was obviously Divine Work from G-d
It was 1.5 metres tall and made out of one piece of gold.
The Menorah was called 'Kikar Zahav' - it was 50kg!
Imagine 50 kilograms from one piece of gold that made the shape of The Menorah.
It had 22 cups called 'Gevi'im' and in between are called these 'Caphtorim' which are the 11 buttons. And there were 9 flowers between each one.
Ironically, the symbol that we see in most pictures are not accurate of how The Menorah actually should look like.
The branches of The Menorah are not round. The branches are slandered, but completely straight.
Nevertheless, from all the parts of The Mishkan that Moshe Rabbenu was Commanded to do, The Menorah specifically stands out as very unique and special.
Why Does The Menorah Have 7 Branches?
When The Menorah was finished, it came out with 7 Branches. 3 going to one side, 3 going to the other side and one going down the middle.
Why?
The Menorah represents Wisdom
The Teachings of Kabbalah tells us that The 7 branches of The Menorah are representing the 7 types of Jewish People.
Jews are divided into 7 categories which correspond to The 7 Sefirot in The World Above.
Jewish Menorah Meaning
G-d did not Make The Menorah because He Needs Light. Because He is The Light.
He does not need us to light The Menorah for Him.
G-d Needs Our Light. He Needs us to shine. And to light up The World.
The only way to do this is when you shine in your own light.
Not when you try to shine somebody elses light.
We are all unique human beings and we should still respect eachother.
This is the main teaching behind The Menorah.
Humans cannot do it themselves.
So.
HaShem Himself Did The Menorah.
And while us humans are all different, we must all shine in our own unique way and this is what The Menorah means.
Because when we all shine in our own way, that is when we form our own Menorah and shine to the world.
One of the First Commandments that The Jews received was to be a light to the nations.
And how do Jews be a light to the nations?
To come together, unite and shine like a beautiful Menorah.
There you have it.
The beautiful meaning behind The Jewish Menorah.
Be a light and shine.
Till next time!
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