Talk:Hanukkah menorah

Putting Out the Candles
I have removed "Unlike other candles which may extinguished if desired, Hanukkah candles are always left to burn to the end." I cannot think of any other candles lit for a religious propose which may e put out (shabbos candles certainly can't - havdalah of course can). Also in a case of need one can put out cahnukah candles, so long as it was already lit long enough. Jon513 15:12, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

Chanukkiyah as planets?
I don't think that's a very credible theory. It has no basis in Jewish tradition whatsoever, and the "traditional" planets numbered five. --OneTopJob6 21:59, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
 * You were correct in removing it. However, Josephus mentions this theory in regards to the menorah (often confused with a Chanukkiyah) in The Wars of the Jews book V. It is already mentioned in that article but it quotes Antiquities of the Jews Book III. I do not know if it is also mentioned there. Jon513 20:06, 18 December 2006 (UTC)

The 7 lamps of the menorah (Temple) mystically represent the sacred 7 Luminaires known now as the 7 Classical planets: Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. At the time of Judas Maccabees and the Hebrew revolt of 164 BC, it was not known that there were 8 planets in this solar system. But later when it became learned, the Shamash was added as the 9th lamp in the Hanukkiah(9 letters)/Chanukiah(9). 'Shamash' was the ancient Hebrew & Sumerian name for the Sun. It's very symbolic that the shamash is used to light the other lights (planets) of the Hanukkiah. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 73.85.207.34 (talk) 13:30, 3 October 2016 (UTC)

Rename proposal
We have Hanukkah but Chanukkiyah. I propose to rename this article into Hanukkiyah for consistency. ←Humus sapiens ну? 23:14, 18 December 2006 (UTC)


 * ok. Jon513 08:16, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

Name of Eliezer Ben Yehuda's wife
Shouldn't we name Eliezer Ben Yehuda's wife, as it is she herself who is important in this instance, not her husband. Apparently he had two wives during his life, so I don't know which one is referred to here, so I can't do it myself. zafiroblue05 | Talk 18:24, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Chanukkiyah Versus Menorah
People, a separate article for Menorah needs to be added. Chanukkiyah is very similar, but not the same thing. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.4.180.147 (talk • contribs)
 * do you mean Menorah (Temple)? Jon513 (talk) 08:56, 25 January 2008 (UTC)

Questionable content in Origins section
I deleted this text last week from the Origins section, and it has been added back in. I question the inclusion of (1) a belief of a Christian nature in an article on a Jewish ritual object, that (2) lacks sources (before someone tags the section with ). "Some believe the lampstand mentioned in the previous text alludes to the seven-branched candelabrum that God described to Moses in Exodus 25:31-40 with the two witnesses (annointed ones) from Revelation 11:3-4. Therefore the nine-branched candelabrum is lit in preparation for the second coming of Christ."71.191.17.72 (talk) 04:20, 6 July 2008 (UTC)


 * I agree with you. I have removed it.  Jon513 (talk) 13:17, 6 July 2008 (UTC)

Hanukkiyah/Chanukkiyah or Hanukkah Menorah?
In the past I've been told off for calling it a Hanukkah Menorah, and that I should only call it Hanukkiyah or Chanukkiyah. I can't quote any reasoning for this, and I no longer know where the person who told it to me is. Can anybody shed light on the correctness of the names? In any case, it seems that Humus sapiens hasn't done the proposed change. Groogle (talk) 03:47, 13 December 2008 (UTC)

Never mind. The article explains all. I'll leave this here as a monument to my stupidity, but if someone else wants to remove it, go ahead. Groogle (talk) 04:01, 13 December 2008 (UTC)


 * I agree with your first point. I have always been told that the 8-branched one is called the Hanukia (like Hanukkah, many different spellings exist), and the 7 branched one, the menorah, is a general candle-holder, which was used in the Temple as well as for common uses (such as Shabbat). I was told that the constant use of "menorah" for Hanukkah was a mistake by the media which caught on. The article sites no sources for what is says (in fact, it sites almost no sources). Before saying "the article explains it all", we should look for some sources. Wikipedia is not a reliable source of information unless sources are cited. Haxor9 (talk) 18:26, 28 December 2008 (UTC)
 * This has been discussed in the past, but hanukiah is a "new" word invented for Modern Hebrew, menorah is the English word. For past discussions, read Talk:Menorah (Temple). Epson291 (talk) 18:46, 28 December 2008 (UTC)

Tradition/Legend/Whatever
Should the article be revised to point out that the story of the eight days of oil is tradition rather than verified history, or would such a thing only belong in the Hanukkah article itself? BBrucker2 (talk) 15:01, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Eight branches? No, nine!
This article says that the Hanukkah menorah is eight-branched. The menorah has nine branches—eight for the days of Hanukkah, but also one for the shamash.--Stuart2135simon (talk) 08:49, 11 December 2009 (UTC)

External links are all to one menorah sales site
At the moment, all the links in the external links section are to one site, which is selling menorahs. While they do in fact have a good variety of menorahs to look at there, the long list and exclusive links to that site give the impression of the Wiki article being used as an advertisement and table of contents for their commercial site. That is against wiki policy: External_links. I don't know the Wiki system well enough to post a flag about this, and I didn't feel comfortable just deleting their links. What do more advanced users think about this? Hammerquill (talk) 22:20, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

Seven or Nine branches?
How about some Biblical references? Here is one from Exodus:

"And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side: Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick. And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers. And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick. Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold. And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it." (Exodus 25:31-37 KJV)

Symbolic Meaning
Not being Jewish, I was looking up this article to get some brief information (just a starting point) about the traditionally accepted symbolic meanings/interpretations behind the menorah. I understand there is, as with any healthy ritual, more meaning that words can pin down in a brief wiki entry, but perhaps even a highly self-reflexive and preliminary statement of a few traditional views of the symbolism behind the menorah would be helpful...I mean just as a starting point for further exploration. As it is now, the only thing that touches on it is its anecdotal history section.

-Pietro 24.84.229.90 (talk) 00:24, 3 December 2010 (UTC)

Update: OH, I see, it is explained under the more general article of Hanukka, under origins. Is there a way of pointing to it from this article?

-Pietro 24.84.229.90 (talk) 00:43, 3 December 2010 (UTC)

valid sources?
Modern menorot, menorot with less-traditional designs, are gaining in popularity with hundreds of new designs coming out since 2007. There are websites dedicated to celebrating the modern menorah. One popular type of modern menorah is the modular menorah: menorot made up of several different pieces which can be re-arranged each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. To be kosher, one candle holder sits higher than the others for the shamash, the worker candle, the one which is used to light the other candles. Are the sources mentioned in the article as references truly credible encyclopaedic sources? One a blog, and the other an online store? To me they fail the citation test. — billinghurst  sDrewth  11:34, 8 January 2012 (UTC)

© Hi :) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.98.108.252 (talk) 02:23, 20 December 2012 (UTC)

External links modified
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history
this page really needs info on the history of the development of the menorah - this article is a good start - https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-does-the-hanukkah-menorah-have-nine-branches-1481897288

Why did it change to 9?
I'm a little confused. If you look up "Menorah" (what most people know Hanukkah lamps as) it brings you to Menorah (temple), which describes the original 6 branch lamp used in the Temple and as described in the Old Testament. I finally found my way here after looking closer and realizing that the article didn't say anything about menorahs as used in modern observances, which suggested to me that there must be another article. Now that I come here I find that the modern menorah has eight branches, which I am surprised to discover, and it doesn't explain anywhere why the difference. Apparently they are tow entirely different things, but I had assumed that the modern menorah was intended to be a symbol of the original temple menorah. So wouldn't it be relevant to explain why they changed it, or at least to make it clear that a modern menorah is NOT the same thing as a temple menorah (although an explanation of why the now "traditional" form takes the same branching shape as the temple menorah would be useful then). I am also curious about this because I found recently an old, apparently hand-made candle stand which I assumed was a menorah. Only it has only six branches. So if it isn't a Hannukah menorah, what is it? It had 8 copper discs pinned in a stack inside the base and an inscription written underneath that said "Me Fecit, MBH, 1992".

02:50, 11 July 2020 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.223.120.90 (talk)

Requested move
Please see Talk:Menorah (Temple).--Pharos (talk) 21:45, 17 April 2021 (UTC)

Move discussion in progress
There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Menorah (Temple) which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RMCD bot 22:17, 17 April 2021 (UTC)

Cleansing the Temple
Several things seemingly tagged on to the end of the discussion are either just erroneous, or are omitted so as to render some false impressions: 1. There was only a one (1) day supply of oil which, miraculously, burned for eight (8) days; 2. The Temple was cleansed of the Hellenist-Greek stench and desecration by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Seleucid King, who occupied Israel about 180 BCE. It was he who had outlawed the worship of G-d, under penalty of death, converted G-d’s Temple to the worship Saturn, and sacrificed pigs upon the altar. 3. It was the Revolt of the Maccabees that led to the defeat of the Hellenists, their ouster from Israel, and the cleansing of the Temple. 4. Jesus, a devout ‘Traditionalist’ Jewish man, made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and to the Temple, to honor the Festival (then called “The Feast of the (Re-)Dedication” or “the Festival of the Lights”). [John 10:22-23] 2600:8802:550F:C900:F110:D863:6F25:57ED (talk) 22:14, 23 November 2022 (UTC)