CCAR RESPONSA
New American Reform Responsa
76. An Apartment House Menorah
QUESTION: A condominium council is debating the placement of a menorah in the lobby of the apartment house during Hanukkah. Is this a sacred object? If a menorah is placed there, may it be an electric menorah? Should an additional light be kindled each night? (David Weiss, Houston TX)ANSWER: Most of us have taken a public stand against the display of religious objects in government buildings or schools. We along with groups such as the American Jewish Committee have sought to minimize both Christmas and Hanukkah displays as well as religious displays at other seasons. Here we have a private dwelling and the owners of the condominium are interested in displaying a menorah. Let me turn to each segment of this question. It is appropriate to display a menorah publicly, in fact the traditional statements about the menorah prescribe that the lights be visible from the outside (Shab 24a; Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 1.5). In the warmer lands of North Africa and the Near East, almost every menorah was designed to be placed on the outer wall of the home and lit there in the Jewish quarter. Publicizing the miracle is the intent and so there is no problem about displaying the menorah in a public setting of an apartment house lobby. The menorah itself is not a sacred item and there is no degree of sanctity connected with it. Of course, the ancient menorah in the Temple itself was a holy object, but it was lost after Titus transported it to Rome for his triumphal march through the city. Subsequently we hear no more about it. Every later menorah is purposely sufficiently different so that it does not imitate the original menorah. Most have eight arms rather than the seven of the ancient Temple. The Hannukah menorah has nine with the shames. The traditional rabbinic authorities opposed an electric menorah (Y. E. Henkin Edut Leyisrael p 122; Unterman Mishpatei Uziel 1.25). We would certainly agree with that decision for a home, but for public display an electric menorah will be safer and more aesthetically pleasing. We can assume that every Jewish family in the condominium will kindle their own menorah each evening, so we need not be concerned about an electric menorah. They are also used frequently on public buildings in Israel. It would be possible to either kindle all the lights during the entire eight days of the festival, or more appropriately to kindle an additional light each evening. This need not be accompanied by the traditional prayers in the same fashion, as Hanukkah lights are often lit in the synagogue before the morning service without prayers, as a reminder of the number of candles to be lit on the subsequent evening (Ziv Haminhagim p 263; J. D. Eisenstein, Otzar Dinim Uminhagim p 141). In a condominium in which a large number of Jews live, it is appropriate to display an electric Hanukkah menorah. This would add to the festive nature of the holiday.December 1988
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