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Why are the eight candles on the menorah important for Hanukkah?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
The candles of Hanukkah are important because they commemorate the miracle of the oil (Talmud, Shabbat 21b). As an augmentation to the celebration of that miracle, we also thank God during Hanukkah for the Hasmoneans' military victory (during which they ousted the Seleucids and their lackeys, the Hellenizing Jews, making possible the rededication of the Temple).
The Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) under Antiochus Epiphanes (2nd century BCE), at the instigation of the Hellenizers, had forbidden various Torah-practices such as Sabbath-observance, and pressed the Jews to offer up idolatrous sacrifices. The Hasmoneans (a family of religious Jews) fought to retake the Holy Temple, which had been seized by the Seleucids, and to enable the people to once again observe the Torah. When they reached the Temple grounds, they found only one day's supply of unsullied olive oil, but the oil lamps miraculously burned for eight days (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), allowing enough time for new oil to be prepared and brought.
The significance of the miracle is that it demonstrated that God's presence still dwelt in the Holy Temple.
The Torah Sages instituted the festival of Hanukkah at that time (Talmud, Shabbat 21b), to publicize the miracle (Rashi commentary, ibid). The eight-day rededication of the Temple is also mentioned in the book of Maccabees (I, 4:36; and II, 1:18); and Josephus mentions the eight-day festival in Antiquities ch.12.
The Al-Hanisim prayer which we recite during Hanukkah centers around the Hasmoneans' victory, while the candle-lighting commemorates the miracle of the oil.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
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What are some lights and candles of Hanukkah?
the menorah and the nine candles are on it. the middle one lights the other eight.
What is a Hanukkah light?
It's actually candles. There are eight candles and they are usually white. The Menorah is what holds the candles in place for Hanukkah. there are no specific candles. The Menorah is usually gold and is shaped like an upside down rainbow w/ 4 lines making up the rainbow. On each end of the curved line there is a candle holder for each candle.
What religion is the one with 8 candles?
When the Jews celebrate Hanukkah, they use a menorah, which has eight candles on it. According to tradition, God preserved the little oil that the Maccabees had for eight days. These eight candles symbolize the eight days.
When is it appropriate to use the Jewish seven branch menorah?
The Hanukkah-menorah (Hanukkiyah) has 8 spots for the candles and 1 spot for the "shamash" which is used to light the other candles. It is lit on the eight nights of Hanukkah, at or after sunset. On Friday afternoon it is lit before sunset.
How mnay candels does a menorah usually hold?
The menorah holds nine candles. Eight of these candles each symbolize one of the eight days of the celebration of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. The ninth holder, called the shamash is for a candle used to light all the other candles.
What is the name of the seven-candle holder for Hanukkah?
It is called a Menorah. It has seven candles because that was the number of oil lamps on the menorah in the Holy Temple (Exodus ch.25). The Hanukkah-menorah has eight candles because that was the number of days of the miracle with the oil.
Who asks why we light eight candles instead of seven candles on Hanukkah?
Hanukkah commemorates this miracle with the lighting of candles on eight successive nights. A Hanukkah menorah, with nine branches instead of the seven on a regular menorah, is used for this purpose. Eight of the candles are lit one by one on each night of Hanukkah, and the ninth candle, known as the shamash, is lit every night and used to kindle the other candles.The Beis Yosef has a famous question: Why do we light for eight nights, if the miracle of Hanukkah is that the oil lasted for seven extra nights? (There are many answers given to this question. Many as in over one hundred!)
WHAT DO JEWS USE FOR HANUKKAH?
A Hanukkah-menorah, or hanukkiyah, which is a special form of the original seven-branched menorah in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Our Hanukkah-menorahs have eight spaces for oil, or candles, to mark each of the eight days for which the oil lasted, and a ninth to hold the shamash, a candle used to light the others. See:More about Hanukkah
What are the candles that are lit at Hanukkah called?
The Hanukkah candles don't have names, except for referring to them generically, as neirot Hanukkah (candles of Hanukkah). The one candle which does have a name is the extra one, used to light the others, which is called the shamash (helper).See also:More about Hanukkah
How many candles does it take to observe all the eight nights of Hanukkah?
It takes a total of 44 candles to observe all eight nights of Hanukkah. Each night, one additional candle is added to the menorah, starting with one on the first night and ending with eight on the eighth night.
Which of these is an eight-branched candlestick used during the festival of lights?
The candelabra used during Hanukkah is called a Hanukkah-menorah or hanukkiah. It represents the miracle of a one-day's oil supply burning for 8 days in the Holy Temple, which is a part of the reason for the celebration of Hanukkah.
What is the special candelabrum lit during Hanukkah called?
The channukiah, or Hanukkah-menorah, is the candlestick used for Channukah. It holds 9 candles. Eight of the candles commemorate the miracle of the oil; and the ninth, called the shamash, is used to light the others.
