Shamash

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ʃəˈmæʃ/

Definitions

1. A candle that serves a special purpose in Jewish rituals by being used to illuminate other candles during significant ceremonies
2. This light source plays a crucial role in Jewish festivals by being used to kindle additional candles, particularly during Hanukkah
3. A candle utilized in Jewish practices that specifically aids in lighting other candles during important ceremonial occasions

Etymology: The shamash is the candle that sits apart from the others on a Hanukkah menorah, and its job is to light them, one each night. Its name is a job title before it is a lamp. In Hebrew, "shamash" (שַׁמָּשׁ) means "waiter" or "attendant," and by extension the sexton, the person who looks after a synagogue. The candle earned the name because it serves the other lights, much as a servant would. The word reached English through Yiddish, the language of Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe, where the form "shammes" was used for the synagogue official. English has "shamash" and "shammes" as doublets: two forms of one Hebrew word that arrived by different routes. The spelling "shamash" follows the Hebrew more closely, while "shammes" preserves the Yiddish pronunciation.