Hanukkah: Expanding light

The holiday of Hanukkah, now fast approaching, commemorates the victory of the Torah’s light over the darkness of Hellenistic paganism. This is represented visually by the Hanukkah menorah, which we light for eight days.

The Hanukkah menorah is derived from the seven-branched Temple Menorah, which was rekindled after the Maccabean victory from the miraculous jug of oil that burned for eight days.

Since the destruction of the Temple, a little more than two centuries later, we no longer have the Temple menorah. But the Hanukkah menorah, the hanukkiah, with its added branch remains.

Over the long centuries, the menorah’s candles have shone into the recesses of our souls, illuminating the darkest times with their radiant message of hope, endurance, and everlasting light.

Appropriately, the menorah is one of the symbols of the renewed Jewish state.

And thus, our sages urge us to pause after lighting our hanukkiah and meditate on its supernatural radiance.

Moreover, by placing the hanukkiah in the window or outside our door, we “publicize the miracle.” The windows in the Temple were designed with openings that broadened outwards so that the light of the menorah spread outward, filling the streets of Jerusalem with an aura of illumination. 

Indeed, the menorah can also symbolize our role as a light unto the nations. It is significant that Hanukkah coincides with the Torah portion that tells the story of Joseph, who was both beautiful and righteous and rose to the highest levels of power in a foreign land, representing our potential for influencing and elevating the nations.

The Torah is called “light,” and it is also called a “tree of life.” The menorah in the Temple actually did evoke the image of a tree, with its branches, flowers, and almonds. According to the Talmud, the menorah looked like a living tree whose lights were its fruits.

The power and beauty of light

Throughout history, artists and artisans have explored the complexity, power, and beauty of this image. For artist Yoram Raanan, this exploration has been a lifelong pursuit. 

“The shape of the menorah is endlessly engaging, as well as the variations of the shape and form,” he says. “The symbol of the menorah is so powerful and its visual impact is so clear... that [it] leaves me room to play – to maintain structure and form, and yet have artistic freedom to explore and experiment. [Taking] something which is so defined and then breaking it open.”

Over the years, Raanan has painted the menorah many times, each time developing the image in a profound and original way.

At the beginning of this version – Menorah Spreading Light – there was darkness, dark browns, and gold on the face of the canvas.

Sensing the menorah within, Raanan carved it out with blues and greens and drops of white and yellow paint, bringing it to life with sparks of light. He then dabbed the canvas with quick movements with the tip of a brush to give it more illumination with white candles that reflect and multiply the light. Warm gold tones emanate and shimmer into cool blues.

Menorah Spreading Light renders the spirit of light expanding, evolving into a multifaceted tree. The inspired flow and expanding movement of the paint create the impression of multiple menorahs and trees, as in a palace of mirrors. 

Michael Chighel wrote that “Raanan’s menorah gives way to the many colors of light refracted into crystalline patterns in every direction. The menorah itself is no longer visible. But one knows it is there because the scintillations are faithful to the geometric form of their inner light source and thus multiply the hidden form.”

Generations after the destruction of the First Temple, the prophet Zechariah saw a vision of a menorah with olive trees, while the voice of an angel told him that the Temple would be rebuilt not by might or power but by the spirit of God. This year, we have been witness to many miracles.

May the final triumph of light over darkness come soon!■

Meira Raanan is the author of The Art of Revelation: A Visual Encounter with the Jewish Bible, a commentary on the paintings of her husband, Yoram Raanan. She is also a teacher of Jewish meditation.

Esther Cameron is a poet, scholar, and essayist living in Jerusalem. She is editor-in-chief of The Deronda Review.