Tips for Setting Up the Menorah
There are many traditions which are followed during the period of Hanukkah. The setting up of the Menorah is no exception. Here are some tips on where the Menorah should be placed.
Traditionally, the Menorah should be set outside the front door of your home facing the street. In addition, it should be placed to the left of the doorframe or the entrance to your home. However, if you do not have a Mezuzah at your entrance door, then the Menorah should be placed to the right of the doorframe.
Note, however, there are two customs for apartment dwellers. The first indicates that the Menorah should be lit in the communal area or by the door of the apartment building. The second custom indicates the Menorah should be lit inside the home at the right side of the window facing the street. If that is not possible, then placing it in the center of your table will suffice. The idea is that the Menorah should be seen by the public or by neighbors who pass by your door or building.
This then brings up the question: “Well if I live in an apartment building, and everyone lights a Menorah outside the building, how will anyone know who lit the Menorah? The answer is a simple one. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that the Menorah is placed in as many locations as possible.
What if there are several people who live in one home and wish to set up their Menorahs in a window? The answer is that as long as the Menorahs are spaced apart, that is, anyone passing by can see the lit candles, it is perfectly acceptable to place Menorahs in a window.
The Menorah is symbolic of the miracle of the oil. When Maccabee became victorious over the Greek ruler Antiochus, he not only restored the Holy Temple which was ruined in the war, but with one day’s ration of oil he was only able to light the Menorah for one day. To his amazement, the Menorah stayed lit for eight days. Thus, the eight candles of light on the Menorah are a reminder to all who observe Hanukkah that the Festival of Lights reflects a miracle which occurred in the first temple.
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