Make Chanukah Fruitful Again?

 

 

Shabbat Table Talk from the desk of Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld

Dec 12-13, 2025 • 22 Kislev 5786 • Vayeshev (Gen 37-40).

Someone online asked:

My menorah just broke. It’s replaceable, but Hanukkah is on Sunday and I can’t find any place that ships them before then. I don’t have Amazon Prime, and there aren’t many Jews where I live so there are no places to buy one locally. My hot glue is drying before I can get the pieces to stick together, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to fix the one I have. Anyone know where online I can get one in time?

One reply was, "If you’re near a college with a Hillel you can call them and they may be able to help." Similarly, someone wrote, "Chabad will give you one for free. Do you have one in driving distance?" Someone else: "In Google Maps, Google “Menorah near me” and see if anything comes up within driving distance."

Question for your table - What would you advise this person?

The worst answer, in my judgment: "You can get Amazon Prime then immediately cancel so it doesn't renew."

The best answers were in the DIY category:

You don't need a menorah. You just need the right number of candles. Get tea lights and set them up in a row every night

Do you have ten nuts? You can go old school and make one like when we were kids

I once saw someone make a menorah out of a long sweet potato. As long as the shamash is higher than the others, you should be fine

But, but, but... isn't a menorah supposed to be beautiful?

The truth is, the basic mitzvah of Chanukah is lighting just one candle each night. The additional candles are in the category of "beautifying the mitzvah."

So here's a contrarian question for your table - Why, then, does anyone bother with fancy silver, brass, or glass menorahs?

(FYI, this week I gave a class on this subject which can be watched/heard/downloaded here.)


Shabbat Shalom and

Happy Chanukah


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