Hanukkiah (Menorah)

The nine-branched candelabrum lit on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah — one of the most distinctive pieces of Jewish judaica.

By The EditorsDeeper

Jewish Living · 3 minute read

Summary. The Hanukkiah (often called the menorah, though strictly speaking the menorah refers to the Temple’s seven-branched lamp) is the nine-branched candelabrum lit on the eight nights of Hanukkah. One light is added each night, plus the shamash (servant light) used to kindle the others. The Hanukkiah is placed in a window or doorway to publicize the miracle (pirsumei nisa). Lit after nightfall; in Israel and the diaspora alike, observed at home (and increasingly in public spaces). A Hanukkiah may use oil or candles.

Construction

A kosher Hanukkiah has eight equal lights in a row (representing the eight nights), plus a ninth shamash — typically elevated, set apart, or off-axis from the eight. The requirement that the eight sit in a straight row — not a circle or a cluster, which would read as a single torch — comes from the Rema's gloss to the Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 671:4; the accompanying practice is to keep all eight at the same height, with only the shamash set higher or apart. Oil Hanukkiot (with olive oil and floating wicks) are particularly desirable; candle Hanukkiot are widespread and acceptable. Electric “menorot” do not fulfill the mitzvah (since there is no kindling of a flame); they are appropriate decoration only.

Where to Place It

The Talmud (Shabbat 21b–22a) describes the placement: outside the doorway and on the left, so that the mezuzah stands on the right — and no higher than twenty amot, above which it is invalid, since nobody looks that high. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 671:6) adds that it should stand above 3 tefachim and, ideally, below 10 — though placing it higher than 10 tefachim still fulfills the obligation. Where outdoor placement is impractical (cold climates, apartment buildings), the Hanukkiah is placed in a window facing the street. The minimum requirement is one Hanukkiah per household (one light each night); the standard practice in Ashkenazi households is one Hanukkiah per person, with each member of the household lighting his or her own. Many Sephardic communities keep to one Hanukkiah per household, the ruling given in the body of the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 671:2); the per-person custom is recorded there as the Rema's Ashkenazi gloss. Others follow the Rambam and light one per person.

When to Light

After nightfall — “from when the sun has set until people are no longer in the marketplace,” per the Talmud (Shabbat 21b). The standard time in contemporary observance is sundown or shortly after. On Friday night, the Hanukkiah is lit before Shabbat candles (since Shabbat begins with the candle lighting and one cannot kindle fire on Shabbat). On Saturday night, custom varies: many light the Hanukkiah after havdalah and others light before it, and a community's practice in shul may differ from what the same family does at home.

The Blessings

On the first night, three blessings: l’hadlik ner shel Chanukah, she-asah nissim, and shehecheyanu. On subsequent nights, the first two only. The song Maoz Tzur (“Rock of Ages”) is sung after lighting in Ashkenazi households; HaNerot Halalu is the universal text reciting the meaning of the lights.

Hanukkiah vs. Menorah

The menorah (Hebrew for “lamp”) properly refers to the seven-branched golden lamp of the Beit HaMikdash (Shemot 25:31–40). The nine-branched Chanukah lamp is properly called a Hanukkiah (Modern Hebrew, from the Israeli usage). In American English the term “menorah” is often used loosely for both; in Israeli usage the distinction is maintained. To avoid embarrassment in shul or at the kosher Judaica store: ask for a Hanukkiah.

Where Denominations Diverge

Universal across all denominations. Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Orthodox all light the Hanukkiah identically. Variations in the blessings are minor (Reform sometimes uses gender-neutral language for the divine name in alternative liturgies). Chabad’s public outdoor Hanukkah celebrations and large-scale public menorot have brought Hanukkah celebration into public spaces worldwide.