The Biblical Significance of the Menorah & Why it is Used to Celebrate Chanukkah

"You are to make a menorah of pure gold. It is to be made of hammered work; its base, shaft, cups, ring of outer leaves and petals are to be of one piece with it. It is to have six branches extending from its sides, three branches of the menorah on one side of it and three on the other. On one branch are to be three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a ring of outer leaves and petals; likewise on the opposite branch three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a ring of outer leaves and petals; and similarly for all six branches extending from the menorah. On the central shaft of the menorah are to be four cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with its ring of outer leaves and petals. Where each pair of branches joins the central shaft is to be a ring of outer leaves of one piece with the pair of branches -thus for all six branches. The rings of outer leaves and their branches are to be of one piece with the shaft. Thus the whole menorah is to be a single piece of hammered work made of pure gold. Make seven lamps for the menorah, and mount them so as to give light to the space in front of it. Its tongs and trays are to be of pure gold. The menorah and its utensils are to be made of sixty-six pounds of pure gold." Sh'mot (Exodus)25:31-39 (CJB)

The menorah is a covenant betwee
Jews and their G-D.

"You are to order the people of Isra'el to bring you pure oil of pounded olives for the light, and to keep a lamp burning continually. Aharon and his sons are to put it in the tent of meeting, outside the curtain in front of the testimony, and keep it burning from evening until morning before ADONAI. This is to be a permanent regulation through all the generations of the people of Isra'el." Sh'mot (Exodus) 27:20-21 (CJB)

"and make them into a holy anointing oil; blend it and perfume it as would an expert perfume-maker; it will be a holy anointing oil. Use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark for the testimony, the table and all its utensils, the menorah and all its utensils, the incense altar,the altar for burnt offerings and all its utensils, and the basin with its base. You are to consecrate them. They will be especially holy, and whatever touches them will be holy." Sh'mot (Exodus) 30:25-29 (CJB)
"Tell the people of Isra'el, 'This is to be a holy anointing oil for me through all your generations." Sh'mot (Exodus) 30:31. This is a holy consecration betwee
Jews and their G-D, says Ruach HoKodesh.

"There I will meet with the people of Isra'el; and the place will be consecrated by my glory. I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar, likewise I will consecrate Aharon and his sons to serve me in the office of cohen. Then I will live with the people of Isra'el and be their God:they will know that I am ADONAI their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt in order to live with them. I am ADONAI their God." Sh'mot (Exodus) 28:43:46 (CJB)

"ADONAI said to Moshe, Order the people of Isra'el to bring you pure oil from crushed olives for the light, to keep lamps burning always. Outside the curtain of the testimony in the tent of meeting, Aharon is to arrange for the light to be kept burning always from evening until morning before ADONAI; this is to be a permanent regulation through all your generations. He is always to keep in order the lamps on the pure menorah before ADONAI." Vayikra (Leviticus) 24:1-4 (CJB)
"'Then the angel that had been speaking with me returned and roused me, as if he were waking someone up from being asleep, and asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I've been looking at a menorah; it's all of gold, with a bowl at its top, seven lamps on it, and seven tubes leading to the lamps at its top. Next to it are two olive trees, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left.'"
Z'kharyah (Zechariah) 4:1-3 (CJB)

"'For even someone who doesn't think much of a day when such minor events take place will rejoice at seeing the plumbline in the hand of Z'rubavel. So these seven are the eyes of ADONAI that range about over all the earth." I replied by asking him, "What are those two olive trees on the right and left sides of the menorah?" Then I asked the question again: "What are those two olive branches discharging gold[-colored oil] through the two gold spouts?" He replied, "Don't you know what they are?" I answered, "No, my Lord." He said, "Those are the two who have been anointed with oil; they are standing with the Lord of all the land.'" Z'kharyah (Zechariah) 4:10-14 (CJB)

I believe that the two olive trees to the left and right of the menorah, discharging gold colored oil through the two gold sprouts, who have been anointed with oil are Moshe (the great law giver) and Elijah (the great prophet). They stand to the left and right of ADONAI, YAH! The light of the menorah represents the eyes of YAH. YAH commanded that the candles always be lit because YHVH never slumbers or sleeps. The eyes of ADONAI, continually, move throughout the earth. ADONAI is always with us! ADONAI is omnipresent. ADONAI always speaks in mysteries. We can only learn the mysteries of YHVH through the Ruach HaKodesh. It was the Ruach HaKodesh who spoke through the prophets not the prophets themselves unless any man should boast!

The menorah is a convenant betwee
YHVH and HIS people, Isra'el. ADONAI Tzva'ot does not slumber or sleep. Again and worth repeating, the light from the seven candles of the menorah represent the eyes of YAH that move to and fro throughout the earth. YAH sees righteous deeds and sinful acts. Each human being will be judged accordinging to the fruit he bears. "Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire!" Matthew 7:19 (CJB)

"Go through her rows [of vines], and destroy them (but don't destroy them completely): strip away her branches, they do not belong to ADONAI. "For the house of Isra'el and the house of Y'hudah have thoroughly betrayed me," says ADONAI. Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 5:10-11 (CJB)

"ADONAI once called you an olive tree, beautiful, full of leaves and good fruit. Now with the roar of a violent storm, he has set it on fire; and its branches will be consumed. For ADONAI-Tzva'ot, who planted you, has decreed evil for you. "It is because of the evil which the house of Isra'el and the house of Y'hudah did to themselves, provoking me with their offerings of incense to Ba'al." Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 11:16-17 (CJB)

"I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch which is part of me but fails to bear fruit, he cuts off; and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, so that it may bear more fruit." Yochanan (John) 15:1-6 (CJB)

"Those who are now far away will come and help rebuild the temple of ADONAI. Then you will know that it is ADONAI-Tzva'ot who sent me to you. And it will all come about, provided you heed carefully what ADONAI your God says." Z'kharyah (Zachriah) 6:15 (CJB)

"ADONAI-Tzva'ot says, 'Take courage, you who are hearing only now, in these days, these words spoken by the prophets when the foundation was being laid for rebuilding the temple, the house of ADONAI-Tzva'ot. For prior to that time, there were wages neither for people nor for animals; moreover, it was unsafe for anyone to go out or come in, because of the enemy; for I set all people each against the other. But from now on, I will not treat the remnant of this people as I did before,' says ADONAI-Tzva'ot. Now they will sow in peace, the vine will give its fruit, the ground will produce its yield, the sky will give its dew, and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. House of Y'hudah and house of Isra'el, just as you were formerly a curse among the nations, so now I will save you; and you will be a blessing. Don't be afraid, but take courage!" Zy'karyah (Zachariah) 8:9-13 (CJB)

"For the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the proud and evildoers will be stubble; the day that is coming will set them ablaze," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot, "and leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will break out leaping, like calves released from the stall. You will trample the wicked, they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I take action," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot. "Remember the Torah of Moshe my servant, which I enjoined on him at Horev, laws and rulings for all Isra'el. Look, I will send to you Eliyahu the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible Day of ADONAI. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers; otherwise I will come and strike the land with complete destruction." [Look, I will send to you Eliyahu the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible Day of ADONAI.]" Mal'akhi (Malachi) 4 (CJB)

Why is the Menorah used during Chanukkah (Hanukkah)?

Chanukkah (Hanukkah)occurs on the 25th day of the month of Kislev. Chanukkah is also known as the festival of Lights. Chanukkah is the holiday that celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Hasmoneans, after the Syruian Greeks defiled it by placing pagan gods within the Temple. The menorah is used during Chanukkah (Hanukkah) to commemorate the miracle of the oil. Once an army of Jewish warriors had retaken the Temple from the Syrians they wanted to rededicate it to God and restore its ritual purity. Eight days worth of oil were needed to complete the ritual purification, but they were only able to find one day's worth of oil. They lit the menorah anyway and miraculously the oil lasted for eight full days. You can read about the history of the menorah of Chanukkah in the book of Maccabees.

In commemoration of this event Chanukkah is celebrated for eight days, just like Sukkot, and a candle is lit on the hanukkiyah on each of those days. One candle is lit the first night, two the second, and so on, until the final night when all the candles are lit. Each of the eight candles is lit with a candle called a shamash. The shamash is lit first, is used to light the other candles, and then is returned to the ninth candle spot, which is set apart from the others.

A hanukkiyah is a candelabrum with eight candleholders in a row and a ninth candleholder set a little above the others. It is used in during Chanukkah becuase the Talmud (Menahot 28b) states that the use of a seven-branched menorah outside of the Temple is prohibited. Nevertheless, a hanukkiyah is a kind of menorah.

Shalom, beautiful children of ADONAI Tzva'ot!