What does the Hebrew word shamash mean?

servant
shammash, also spelled shamash or shammas (Hebrew: “servant”), plural shammashim, shamashim, or shammasim, salaried sexton in a Jewish synagogue whose duties now generally include secretarial work and assistance to the cantor, or hazan, who directs the public service.

What does the shamash candle represent?

That candle is called the Shamash, which in Hebrew means “attendant” or “servant.” The Shamash is the servant to the other lights. The menorah can only be lit by the Shamash. It is not OK to light the other lights with any other candle other than the ninth one.

What is a shamash in Hanukkah?

The menorah has nine branches, one for each night of the Festival of Lights, plus a shamash, meaning helper or attendant, which is lit first and then used to light the other candles. The shamash always sits a bit higher or lower than the rest of the candles so as to not get confused with the others.

Why is it called a shamash?

The shamash on the Menorah (Hanukkah) is not usually in the centre; often it’s off to a side. In any case it’s not in line with the eight real lights, because it isn’t one of the lights, it’s there to serve them, hence the name shamash.

Where is the shamash candle?

Step 3: Light the Shamash The candle that is raised or in the center of the menorah is the shamash (helper candle). It’s the one you use to light the other candles. Light it first.

What does the 9 candle menorah symbolize?

1. Light the Menorah. The centerpiece of the Hanukkah celebration is the hanukkiah or menorah, a candelabra that holds nine candles. Eight candles symbolize the number of days that the Temple lantern blazed; the ninth, the shamash, is a helper candle used to light the others.

What is the ninth candle used for?

The ninth branch is reserved for a special candle, the shamash, or “helper.” The shamash is used to light the other candles: one on the first night and an additional one each subsequent evening until all nine burn on the eighth and final night.

Why do menorahs have 9 candles?

The candles we light on Hanukkah symbolize the miraculous oil that was found in the Temple. Because it burned for eight nights—giving the Maccabees time to find more and properly rededicate the temple—we light candles for eight consecutive nights, with the amount of light increasing each night.

What is the difference between a menorah and a Chanukiah?

A menorah, which has only seven candleholders, was the lamp used in the ancient holy temple in Jerusalem — now a symbol of Judaism and an emblem of Israel. A Hanukkiah, however, has nine candlesticks — one for each night of Hanukkah and an extra one to light the others.

How do you pronounce Sufganiyot?

Sufganiyot (pronounced Soof-GAH-NEE-yote; the singular spelling is sufganiyah) are deep-fried, jelly or custard filled doughnuts, typically topped with powdered sugar.

Why is there a ninth candle called the shamash?

The ninth lamp is called a shamash, a “servator,” and it symbolically differentiates the eight holy flames from other, mundane light sources. It is usually used to light the other eight.

Is Hanukkah Pagan?

Hanukkah recounts the struggle of Mattityahu (Matthew), a Jewish leader who lived 2,170 years ago in the land of Israel. At the time, the country was under the rule of a brutal empire forcing the Jews to adopt its pagan rites.

Is the menorah 7 or 9 candles?

What is the Star of David symbolize?

The star was almost universally adopted by Jews in the 19th-century as a striking and simple emblem of Judaism in imitation of the cross of Christianity. The yellow badge that Jews were forced to wear in Nazi-occupied Europe invested the Star of David with a symbolism indicating martyrdom and heroism.

What is the difference between a menorah and a Hanukkiah?

Why does the menorah have 9 candles instead of 7?

Eight of the nine branches hold lights (candles or oil lamps) that symbolize the eight nights of the holiday; on each night, one more light is lit than the previous night, until on the final night all eight branches are ignited.

What is the difference between Hanukkah and Chanukah?

The answer is that both are considered correct, though Hanukkah is the most widely used spelling, while Chanukah is more traditional. In addition, more than 20 other variations are recorded.

Whats the difference between sufganiyot and donuts?

Every culture seems to have its own version of the doughnut — and usually some fancy name for it, too. In Italy, fried dough is called bombolone or zeppole. In France (and the French Quarter of New Orleans), it goes by beignet. In Israel, doughnuts are known as sufganiyot.

Why does the menorah have 7 or 9 candles?

Is Hanukkah a sin?

It is not wrong for a Christian to celebrate Hanukkah. The Jews celebrate the holiday as a reminder of the victory God brought to them after a time of severe oppression. They also celebrate His provision of oil for the menorah after the rededication of the temple in 164 BC.