One of the most familiar images of Hanukkah is a nine-branched menorah. One candle called the “servant,” shamash in Hebrew, is usually placed in the center of the menorah. It is used to light each candle representing each of the eight nights of the holiday. This style of menorah is the one you will see this time of year in homes, stores, and public displays—but it is not the only kind of menorah and should be distinguished from the seven-branched menorah, which stood in the Tabernacle. This biblical lampstand had seven cups for the priests to fill with oil and light (Exodus 25:31–40). When the menorah appears as a symbol, like the Chosen People Ministries logo, it usually contains only seven lights.
The Jewish community sometimes refers to the nine-candle menorah as a hanukkiah to distinguish it from the seven-light variety. Still, it is fair and accurate to call a hanukkiah a menorah. After all, menorah is simply the Hebrew word for “lampstand.” So, all hanukkiahs are menorahs, but not all menorahs are hanukkiahs!
Why Eight Days?
The origin of the hanukkiah and the practice of lighting it for eight days during Hanukkah is unclear. As a holiday, Hanukkah dates to the second century bce, when the Seleucid ruler over Israel began to persecute the Jewish people. The Maccabees led a successful rebellion against this tyrant. In the process, the Seleucid army defiled the Temple, so the priests needed to rededicate it upon their return. Josephus, a Jewish historian and former Jewish general who lived during the first century, was the first to connect Hanukkah with light. He noted the holiday was called “Lights” but did not explain why. A “Hanukkah lamp” is mentioned in the Mishnah, an authoritative Jewish commentary on the five books of Moses compiled in the third century, but not until the sixth century did Jewish sources discuss the practice of lighting flames on Hanukkah in detail.
To explain the origin of this tradition, the Sages said one day’s worth of oil lasted for eight days when the Maccabees rededicated the Temple and relit the menorah. Jewish lore offers other explanations for the eight-day celebration. First, Jewish people could not observe the biblical fall festivals during the Maccabean Revolt. Partly to make up for this loss, the people celebrated the last of these holidays, the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), which lasted eight days. Less common—but equally fascinating—is a ninth-century legend that depicts the Maccabees discovering eight spears in the Temple. According to the story, they stuck these spears in the ground and lit them.
Development of the Hanukkiah
Archaeologists have discovered lampstands with eight spouts from the sixth century. The earliest Hanukkah lights were clay or stone lamps with small cups for oil and wicks. During each day of the festival, a celebrant would add a lamp to the display.
The fuel used to light the lamps was olive oil, just as the priests used oil in the menorah in the Tabernacle and, later, the Temple. Olive oil was a valuable commodity in the ancient Mediterranean world and figured prominently in many practices recorded in the Bible. For example, oil was part of the grain offerings (Leviticus 9:4). Additionally, priests and other leaders—like kings—were anointed with oil (Exodus 29:21). As a food product, oil symbolized prosperity, much like wine (Deuteronomy 8:8). Oil could soothe wounds (Isaiah 1:6) and serve as a cosmetic (Esther 2:12). The priests also needed a constant supply of oil to fuel the menorah in the Temple (Leviticus 24:2).
The medieval European Jewish community began using candles for Hanukkah lights because wax was less expensive and easier to obtain than oil. Before electricity, lighting was a significant expense for most societies. Oil was quite expensive, making lighting a lamp for religious purposes sacrificial.
Hanukkiahs Today
Though we use candles in most hanukkiahs today, oil’s connection with Hanukkah remains. Traditional Hanukkah foods like potato pancakes, called latkes, and jelly-filled donuts called sufganiyot are cooked in oil. The standard hanukkiah today comes in an endless array of creative designs. Many have a star of David; some are colorful or have flowers. Especially imaginative Hanukkah menorahs are also available—even an octopus-shaped hanukkiah where the cephalopod’s body serves as the base, and each tentacle can hold a candle! Small disposable hanukkiahs are used by many who choose a less elaborate way to celebrate the holidays, and electric hanukkah menorahs are growing more and more popular. Along with the potato pancakes, beautiful prayers announcing this season of God’s victory on behalf of His chosen people are recited and moving songs are sung along with presents given on each of the eight nights. The great theme of the holiday focuses on joy, light, deliverance, and the warmth of family gathered in observance of the holiday.
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