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Hanukkah: The Story of the Lighting of the Menorah

Lighting the Menorah

The Menorah is a very important piece of Jewish history and tradition, and it has a miraculous story behind it.

The Menorah is at its very basic level a special candlestick that holds eight candles, or eight pools of oil for burning. It was kept in the Temple in Israel. Over 2,000 years ago, the land of Israel was being ruled by a Syrian-Greek Emperor called Antiochus, and he tried to force the Jewish people to worship his Greek gods. He forbade people studying the Torah, and angered many Jewish people by putting idols of Greek gods in the Temple. Eventually a small Jewish band of warriors took back the land of Israel, and when they reached the Temple they wanted to light the holy Menorah but it was only then that they realized the Greeks had destroyed almost all the oil.

The only untouched oil that remained was enough for one light, not all eight. However, through a miracle the oil was able to last all eight candles for eight days and nights. To celebrate this wonderful demonstration of G-d’s power, the festival of Chanukah (otherwise known as Hannukah) was created. Every year, Jewish families around the world celebrate and remember this amazing event by lighting the Menorah in their homes.

The design of the Menorah is very important; the lights must be in a line, with none of them higher than the others. For people of the Jewish faith, the Menorah is a wonderful reminder that G-d is faithful and loyal to them, and keeps to his word.

On the first night of Hanukkah, three blessings are recited. On subsequent nights, just two of the blessings are recited.

Many families will spend a lot of money on the family Menorah, because it demonstrates their act of devotion to G-d. They want only the best for G-d, and many of them will have a silver Menorah as that is the best one.

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