1,250 bytes added
, 01:23, December 28, 2008
The '''menorah''' (also ''hanukiah'') is the name for the nine-branched candle holder used in the [[Jewish]] celebration of [[Chanukah]]. One receptacle in the menorah is in the middle and raised above the others. This one is called the servant light, and it is used to light the other [[candle]]s.
The term "menorah" originally meant, and still may mean, a seven-branched candle holder used in the Jewish [[temple]], from which the modern version is derived. Lamps resembling these original menorahs are used in synagogues today, but are generally called eternal flames. The original menorahs used oil and directions for building one appears in the Bible, specifically Exodus 25:31-40. The menorah also appears in Zechariah 4:1-6, and some Jews imagine God's command to be "a light unto the nations" (Isaiah 42:6) as an allusion to the menorah. <ref>1</ref>
The menorah is the official [[symbol]] of the Jewish state of [[Israel]] and is generally viewed as a symbol of Jewish [[culture]] and heritage. <ref>2</ref>
==See Also==
[[Chanukah]]
[[Judaism]]
==References==
[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/menorah.html][http://www.answers.com/topic/menorah]
[[Category:Judaism]][[Category:Jewish holidays]][[Category:Symbols]]