Page 18 - HANUKIYA

Garden of Delights
It’s a long way from the simple clay oil lamps of Talmudic times zoo — at least not one in this world. Perched upon the two
to this ultra ornate silver menorah crafted in Russia in 1810.
It’s thought that the form we are all familiar with — a “bench”
for the row of oil receptacles that is attached to a backplate
— only came into use during the Middle Ages. While some
were meant to be attached to an outside wall to publicize
the miracle, others were designed to sit in the window, for
those who lived on an upper floor. The latter design included
a new addition: feet for the menorah to stand on.
Chanukah menorahs shaped liked a candelabrum
also appeared during the Middle Ages, but it’s
thought this style was reserved for synagogue
use. It was also during this time that Ashkenazim
began to incorporate the shamash into the
design, while Sephardim retained the custom of
keeping the shamash separate.
The concept of beautifying the mitzvah was
enthusiastically applied to the Chanukah menorah,
with the seven-branched menorah found in the
Beit Hamikdash being one of the most popular
decorative motifs. The seven branched menorah
is often flanked by lions rampant (see glossary
sidebar). The lion, of course, is the symbol of
Shevet Yehudah, the tribe of Dovid Hamelech.
That brings us to a connection to the Beis Hamikdash —
and Chanukah. For wealthier patrons, craftsmen might add
architectural and floral elements, as well as birds and other
animals, such as are found in this menorah’s design.
According to Mr. Hoffman, it has 26 animals and birds —
corresponding to the gematria of the Sheim Havayah —
gathered around and above the aron kodesh sitting in the
center. There are also a few creatures you won’t find in a
18
columns are griffins, winged creatures that are part eagle
and part lion. It’s unclear why griffins became so popular
in Eastern European Jewish art, but they can be found
decorating Jewish manuscripts, synagogue walls, and
papercuts, as well as menorahs, until their popularity waned
in the 19th century.
Some scholars believe griffins were meant to represent the
cheruvim, but it’s far from a unanimous opinion.
The double-headed eagle sitting at the very
top is also open to interpretation. A common
explanation is that a double headed eagle, symbol
of both the Austro-Hungarian and Russian
Empires, means the chanukiah was crafted
there and its use demonstrated the loyalty of
the empire’s Jewish subjects. A single headed
eagle, symbol of both Poland and Germany, had
a similar connotation. But that’s only a partial
explanation, because single- and double-headed
eagles appear much earlier in Jewish art,perhaps
inspired by the saying attributed to Rav Yehuda
ben Teima in Pirkei Avos: “Be bold as a leopard,
light as an eagle, swift as a gazelle, and mighty as
a lion to do the will of your Father in Heaven.”
According to Jerusalem’s U. Nahon Museum
of Italian Jewish Art, which has a similar menorah in its
collection, the two lampposts and trees recall elements
found in a formal European garden. That’s certainly the case
with Mr. Hoffman’s menorah, where the lampposts suggest
an entry point to a “garden” filled with birds and trees and
vines. Vines were often used in Jewish art to represent the
Tree of Life, Jerusalem, and Torah, giving this menorah yet
another layer of rich symbolism.