Guiding Lights: Illuminating the Distinctions of the Chanukiah and the Menorah
Does the ‘chanukiah’ simply model the Menorah of the Mishkan -with an extra candle? Our session will begin by comparing the ‘Menorah’ to the other vessels of the Mishkan, in an attempt to better understand what it symbolizes. Afterward, we will turn to the prophet Haggai and the book of Macabees to appreciate why the Menorah became the national symbol of the Second Temple period – which will shed light on our Rabbinic tradition of lighting a ‘chanukiah’ on Chanukkah.
This Renee and Alexander Bohm Memorial Lecture, taught by Rabbi Menachem Leibtag, is sponsored by Elissa Shay Ordan and Daniel J. Ordan in honor of their grandparents, Renee and Alexander Bohm z”l.
It was originally recorded on 12/02/15.