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 Encyclopedia
Judaica 2nd Edition
An essential source of information on
Jewish life, culture, history, and
religion.
In 1972, the Encyclopaedia Judaica
fulfilled the longstanding dream of
capturing the full richness of Jewish
culture in a single authoritative
publication, heralded in the scholarly
community as one of the best reference
works ever compiled.
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MENORAH:
By : Cyrus Adler Judah David Eisenstein
ARTICLE HEADINGS:
In Rabbinical Literature:
Position
Symbolic Significance
The holy candelabrum. For Biblical Data
See Candlestick.
(see image) The Mosaic Menorah as
Described in Rabbinical Literature.(After
a sketch by J. D. Eisenstein, New York.)
—In Rabbinical Literature:
The Talmud speaks only of the menorah made
by Bezaleel for the Tabernacle in the time
of Moses (Ex. xxxvii. 17 et seq.), which
was later placed in the Temple (Tosef,
Sot.ah, xiii., beginning), between the ten
menorot made by Hiram for Solomon's Temple
(I Kings vii. 49). Each of these menorot
was one denarius in excess of the required
weight ("kikkar") of the Mosaic menorah
(Men. 29a). |
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The Mosaic menorah,
according to the Talmud, stood 18 "tefah.im"
(1 t.efah. = 4 inches), or 72 inches,
high, divided as follows: 3 tefah.im for
the tripod, including a "perah."
(blossom in relief); 2 t.efah.im space;
1 t.efah. for a "gebia'" (cup or vase),
"kaftor" (knob), and perah.; 2 t.efah.im
space; 1 t.efah. for a kaftor and branch
on each side of the center shaft and a
kaftor above the joint; 1 t.efah. space;
1 t.efah. for a kaftor and branch on
each side and a kaftor above; 1 t.efah.
space; 1 t.efah. for a kaftor and branch
on each side and a kaftor above; 2
t.efah.im space; 3 t.efah.im for a
cluster of three gebi'ot, a kaftor, and
a perah. on each of the branches and the
center shaft (Men. 28b).
(see image) A Modern Menorah.(In the
possession of Maurice Herrmann, New
York.)
The gebia' is described as resembling an
Alexandrian cup; the kaftor resembled
the half of an apple; the perah.
resembled a blossom carved on pillars.
Altogether there were 22 gebi'im, 11
kaftorim, and 9 perah.im (ib.; see
accompanying illustration). Maimonides
further explains that the gebia' was
broad at the top and narrow at the
bottom (probably in the style of a
flower-vase); the kaftor was somewhat
egg-shaped with pointed tops; the perah.
looked like a dish with the brim doubled
outward ("Yad," Bet ha-Beh.irah, iii.
1-11). The spread of the branches was 9
t.efah.im (36 inches), and there was the
same measure for the tripod ("Shilt.e
ha-Gibborim," ch. xxxi.).
Position.
The branches of the lamps had the
apertures in which the wicks were placed
turned toward the center lamp, which was
known as "Ner ha-Ma'arabi" (= "the
Western Lamp") because it was next to
the branches on the east side (Rashi on
Shab. 22b). For, according to the
Talmud, the menorah was so placed that
its two branches pointed toward the east
and west respectively. A similar rule
applied to all vessels in the Temple
(Men. xi. 7), except the Ark. Maimonides,
however, holds the opinion, also
expressed in the Talmud, that the
menorah, like the Ark, was placed at
right angles to the length of the
Temple, i.e., pointing north and south
and facing east and west. But this
theory appears to be untenable. It was
opposed by Abraham ibn Daud (RaBaD) and
was strongly attacked in "Shilt.e ha-Gibborim"
(xxxi. 26b).
The cleaning and refilling of the lamps,
except the two most easterly, were
performed by a priest every morning. If
the priest found them extinguished, he
relighted them. The two eastern lamps
were left burning till after the morning
service, and were then cleaned and
refilled (Tamid iii. 9; Yoma 33a). The
Ner ha-Ma'arabi, also called "Ner Elohim"
(I Sam. iii. 3), was left burning all
day and was refilled in the evening. It
served to light all the lamps. The Ner
ha-Ma'arabi contained no more oil than
the other lamps, a half-log measure (1
log contains the liquid of six eggs),
sufficient to last during the longest
winter night (Men. 89a); yet by a
miracle that lamp regularly burned till
the following evening (ib. 86b). This
miracle, however, ceased after the death
of Simeon the Righteous, who was high
priest forty years before the
destruction of the Temple (Yoma 39b).
There was a ladder of three steps 9
t.efah.im high and 9 t.efah.im wide in
front of the menorah. On the second step
were placed the tongs, shovels, dishes,
and oil. This ladder or stool was made
by Bezaleel out of shittim-wood; but in
Solomon's Temple it was made of marble.
The priest ascended the steps to fix and
light the lamps (Men. and Tamid l.c.).
The menorah depicted on Titus' arch is
probably a representation of one of
Solomon's menorot, but not of the Mosaic
menorah, which was concealed by the
priests prior to the destruction of the
First Temple and of which all trace has
since disappeared.
Symbolic Significance
Symbolically the menorah represented the
creation of the universe in seven days,
the center light symbolizing the
Sabbath. The seven branches are the
seven continents of the earth and the
seven heavens, guided by the light of
God. The Zohar says: "These lamps, like
the planets above, receive their light
from the sun" ("Beha'aloteka,"
beginning).
The design of the menorah is used for a
Mizrah. picture. The seven words of Ps.
cxiii. 3 respectively designate the
seven branches. Some derive the design
of the branches from a seven-verse
chapter in the Psalms, or from the
seven-verse prayer of R. Neh.unya ben
ha-Kanah beginning with "Anna, bekoah.
gedulot." A tablet with such a design is
sometimes placed in front of the
prayer-desk, while others use the figure
of the menorah as adecoration for the
Ark. Others again, in writing amulets,
arrange a formula of seven letters and
seven verses in the form of a menorah;
and it was employed also on tombs. See
Amulet (illustration); Art in the
Synagogue; Candlestick; Mizrah..
Bibliography: Bähr,
Symbolik des Mosaischen Cultus, i.
534-543;
Friedrich, Symbolik der Mosaischen
Stiftshütt.e, pp. 157-158, Leipsic,
1841;
Rofe, Shilt.e ha-Gibborim, ch. xxxi.,
Mantua, 1607;
Isserles, Torat ha-'Olah, i., ch. xvi.;
Kolbo, Binyan Ariel, p. 75, No. 259, ed.
Vienna, 1883.A. J. D. E. |
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