Jessie Taylor
The lighting of candles is a key part of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, which lasts for eight days. The candles are placed in a menorah, with one candle lit on the first night, and an additional candle lit on each subsequent night. The menorah is lit after sundown, and the candles must burn for at least half an hour after nightfall. The shamash candle is lit first, using it to kindle the other candles from left to right. Blessings are said while holding the shamash, and there are three blessings recited on the first night and two on each of the remaining nights.
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What You'll Learn
The first blessing is sung for all eight nights of Hanukkah
The first blessing is recited while holding the shamash, or helper candle, and immediately before the Hanukkah menorah is lit. This blessing is the same as the candle blessing said weekly on Shabbat, except for the last word. Instead of saying "shel Shabbat", we say "shel Hanukkah". The English translation of the first blessing is:
> Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who makes us holy with your commandments, commanding us to kindle (light) the Hanukkah lights.
On the first night of Hanukkah, there are three blessings to recite, and on all other nights, there are only two. The first blessing is sung for all eight nights of Hanukkah. The second blessing is said directly after the first blessing and before the Hanukkah candles on the menorah are lit. The English translation of the second blessing is:
> Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in those ancient days at this season.
The third blessing, Shehechiyanu, is recited only on the first night of Hanukkah. It is said to give thanks to God for something new, in this case, the first time lighting the candles on the menorah. The English translation of the third blessing is:
> Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.
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The shamash candle is lit first, then used to light the rest
The shamash candle is lit first and then used to light the other candles on the menorah. This is done from left to right, with the newest candle being lit first. The shamash is also known as the helper candle.
The shamash candle is lit after the blessings have been recited. There are three blessings said when lighting the Hanukkah menorah on the first night, and two blessings on all other nights. The blessings are said while holding the shamash candle.
The first blessing is the same for all eight nights of Hanukkah, except for the last word. Instead of saying "shel Shabbat", we say "shel Hanukkah". This translates as:
> "Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who makes us holy with your commandments, commanding us to kindle (light) the Hanukkah lights."
The second blessing is said directly after the first and before the candles are lit. It begins with the traditional "Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam". This translates as:
> "Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in days of old at this season."
The third blessing, the Shehechiyanu, is only recited on the first night of Hanukkah. It is a blessing of firsts, recited the first time something is done in the Jewish calendar year. This translates as:
> "Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season."
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The blessings are said while holding the shammash
The Hanukkah menorah is lit after sundown on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. On the first night, a single flame is lit, and on each subsequent night, another candle is lit, until on the eighth and final night, all eight flames are burning bright.
> Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.
Which translates to:
> Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who hallows us with mitzvot and commands us to kindle the Hanukkah lights.
The second blessing is:
> Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, she-asah nisim laavoteinu v’imoteinu bayamim hahaeim baz’man hazeh.
Which translates to:
> Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in days of old at this season.
The third blessing, which is only recited on the first night, is:
> Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu, v’kiyimanu, v’higiyanu lazman hazeh.
This translates to:
> Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who has given us life and sustained us and enabled us to reach this season.
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The candles are placed right to left but lit left to right
The Hanukkah menorah is a significant part of the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights. The menorah holds candles that are placed and lit in a specific order and blessed with prayers.
The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but are lit from left to right. The shamash candle, or the helper candle, is always lit first. It is then used to light the other candles, starting with the leftmost one. This order of lighting ensures that the newest candle is lit first.
On the first night of Hanukkah, a single flame is lit, and on each subsequent night, an additional candle is lit, until the eighth and final night when all eight flames are burning bright. The menorah is lit after sundown, and the candles should remain lit for at least half an hour after nightfall.
The blessings, or prayers, are recited while holding the shamash candle, immediately before the menorah is lit. There are three blessings said on the first night and two blessings on the following nights. The blessings are said in Hebrew, and they praise and thank God for various things, including performing wondrous deeds for our ancestors and sustaining us through the year.
The placement and lighting order of the candles in the menorah, along with the blessings, are an integral part of the Hanukkah celebration, adding to the beauty and significance of the Festival of Lights.
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The Shehecheyanu blessing is said on the first night of Hanukkah
The Hanukkah menorah is lit after sundown on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. Three blessings are said on the first night, and two blessings are said on all other nights. The first blessing is the same on all nights and is the same as the candle blessing said weekly on Shabbat, except for the last word: instead of saying "shel Shabbat", we say "shel Hanukkah". The second blessing is said directly after the first blessing and before the candles are lit. The third blessing is only said on the first night or the first time lighting the menorah.
> Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, shehecheyanu v’kiy’manu v’higiyanu lazman hazeh.
In English, this is translated to:
> Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.
The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but are lit from left to right. The shamash candle is always the first one lit, and it is used to light the other candles, starting with the leftmost one.
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Frequently asked questions
The first blessing is: "Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who makes us holy with your commandments, commanding us to kindle (light) the Hanukkah lights."
The second blessing is: "Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in those ancient days at this season."
The third blessing, Shehechiyanu, is recited to give thanks to God for something new. It translates to: "Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season."
The blessings are recited while holding the Shammash candle, immediately before the Hanukkah menorah is lit.
The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but are lit from left to right. The Shammash candle is always lit first, using it to light the other candles from left to right.
