It appears in the coat of arms of the State of Israel and, among other things, it symbolizes the creation in seven days, with the center light representing the Sabbath. The 7-branch menorah is made according to the commandment in Exodus 25:31-40.
Isaiah 11:2-3: "The Spirit of YHWH shall rest upon him, the Spirit of Chochmah (Wisdom) and Binah (Understanding), the Spirit of Atzah (Counsel) and Gevurah (Might), the Spirit of Da'at (Knowledge) and of the Yirah (Fear) of YHWH." The Menorah with its seven branches is a perfect picture of the Seven Spirits of YHWH, as shown in the following scripture:
"And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side." Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece". "You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold the lampstand shall be of hammered work. YHWH (Yahweh) commanded Moses to make a menorah that had one main "stem" and six branches (Exodus 25:31-40) and commanded it to be placed in the "holy place" of the Tabernacle and the Temple.Įxodus 25:31. The menorah, the only symbol our Creator designed Himself (all other "religious" symbols are man-made), is said to symbolize the burning bush as seen by Moses on Mount Horeb (Exodus 3). Hanukkah is not one of YHWH's commanded feasts but, rather, a tradition celebrating the remembrance of the victory of a small band of Jews over the occupying army of Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes. The 9 branched menorah (see bottom of this article) used during Hanukkah is called a Hanukkiah. There are two different types of menorah: The seven-branched menorah for daily use is a replica of the one that was in the Temple. Fresh olive oil of the purest quality was burned daily to light its lamps.
#Menorah seven spirits of god portable#
It is described in the Bible as the seven-branched ancient "lampstand" made and used in the portable sanctuary set up by Moses in the wilderness and later in the Temple in Jerusalem. While the Hanukkah lights are supposed to be used for meditating on the time-honored festival, the shamash is meant for more practical use.Īs a prominent ancient symbol of the Jewish faith, the Menorah is an emblem of the state of Israel and can be seen on its coat of arms.The menorah has been a symbol of Judaism since ancient times and is the emblem on the coat of arms of the modern state of Israel. The extra ninth light in the Menorah is called ‘shamash’. The first lamp is lighted on the nightfall of the first day of the festival with an additional light kindled on each successive night. It is observed by lighting the candles on the nine-branched Menorah (also known as ‘Hanukiah’). This is an 8-day holiday that commemorates the re-dedication of the Second Temple in 164 BCE under Judas Maccabaeus. The traditional symbol of Menorah is also associated with Hanukkah (Chanukah), the popular Jewish Festival of Lights. The Menorah is also believed to be a symbol of the spiritual life of an individual believer as the fire of the 7 spirits of God light it. The central light alludes to the light or holiness of God that guides the six inwards inclined lamps that stand for human knowledge. As a symbol of physical as well as spiritual illumination, it represents universal enlightenment. It is also supposed to represent the 7 classical planets – Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, and Moon. The Menorah represents the 7 days of creation, with the Sabbath represented by the central lamp. Ner Tamid, symbolizing the Menorah stands in the modern-day synagogues. Fresh and pure olive oil was used to light it daily. It refers to the seven-lamp golden candelabrum that was used in the portable Temple (Mishkan) that was set up in the wilderness by Moses. The Menorah is among the oldest and most revered symbols of Judaism.
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