CCAR RESPONSA
Contemporary American Reform Responsa
147. Menorah Decorations for a
Synagogue
QUESTION: May a seven-branched menorah be
used to decorate a synagogue? (D. R., Columbus, OH)
ANSWER: Tradition has
avoided the imitation of any object which was used in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, so a seven branched menorah was prohibited (A. Z. 43a), although one with more or less branches was permissible. The Shulhan Arukh (Yoreh Deah 141.8) added that it was prohibited if made of any metal (in addition to gold which was used in the ancient Temple), but Sabbatai Cohen, in commenting on this verse, indicated that if it were made of wood, stone or clay, it could be used in the synagogue. In addition to these literary citations, we must be aware of the decorative motif of the menorah which was frequently used in ancient synagogues excavated in recent years (Dura Europa, Bet Alpha, Maon, Ostia, etc.). Whatever the Talmudic prohibition, the menorahwas widely and popularly used in ancient times.
The
responsa discussions of the menorah deal primarily with the decorations found on it; Zevi Ashkenazi, the eighteenth century authority (Responsa #60) stated that as long as the synagogue menorah differed from that used in the Temple, it was permissible. There would, therefore, be absolutely no objection to the use of a seven branched menorah in any modern synagogue, certainly not in a
Reform Temple.
February 1977
If needed, please consult Abbreviations used in CCAR Responsa.