Why is the shamash on a pedestal? The Chanukah menorah is such a
beautiful sight! Every night we add a new flame until we have
eight in a straight row. The shamash is also part of the
chanukiyah, yet it’s not next to all the other flames. It has a
unique placement. It’s not permitted to be in the same row as
the rest, and many chanukiyot are designed with the shamash
higher than the rest. Why the special treatment? To better
understand the uniqueness of the shamash, we need to know what
the word “shamash” means. The best way to understand what a word
means is by looking at the first time the word is mentioned in
the Torah. At the covenant between the parts between God and
Abraham (Bereshit 15, 12) we read, “Vayehi hashemesh lavo” – and
the shemesh was setting. This is the first time the Torah refers
to that “Great light to rule by day” (Bereshit 1, 16) – the sun
– as the shemesh. How strange! The word shemesh literally means
a servant. Why is the Torah referring to the mighty great light
that rules by day as