Chloe Adams
The Hanukkah menorah is a nine-branched candelabra that is lit during the eight-day Festival of Lights. The lighting of the menorah is a ceremony that follows specific rules and customs. The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but lit from left to right, with the shamash, or helper candle, being used to light the others. The timing of the lighting is also important, with the ideal time being after sunset when the stars appear.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of candles | 8 for each night of Hanukkah, plus an extra "helper" candle |
| Placement of candles | Placed in the menorah from right to left, lit from left to right |
| Timing | After sundown, ideally when the stars appear; some sources say 10-25 minutes after sunset |
| Blessings | Three blessings on the first night, two on each subsequent night |
| Order of lighting | One candle on the first night, an additional candle each night thereafter |
| Use of shamash candle | In Ashkenazi communities, the shamash is lit first and used to light the other candles; in Sephardi communities, an extra candle is used to light the others, and the shamash is lit last |
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What You'll Learn
Blessings are said before lighting the candles
Blessings are said before the Hanukkah candles are lit. The custom is to recite three blessings on the first night and two blessings on each night thereafter. The blessings are usually recited after the candles are placed in the menorah, but before they are lit.
The first blessing is:
> Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.
Translated, this means: "Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who made us holy through your commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights."
The second blessing is:
> Baruch atah, Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, she-asah nisim la’avoteinu bayamim hahem bazman hazeh.
This translates to: "Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time."
On the first night, a third blessing is recited:
> Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shehecheyanu, vekiy'manu, vehigi'anu laz'man hazeh.
This means: "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season."
The candles should be placed in the menorah from right to left but lit from left to right. The shamash, or helper candle, is lit first and used to light the other candles. The shamash is placed in a designated spot, usually in the centre of the menorah, which has nine spots for candles in total—one for each night of Hanukkah, plus the shamash.
The lighting of the candles should take place after sundown, when it is dark. However, there are differing opinions on the exact timing. Some say the candles should be lit 10 or 25 minutes after sunset, while others say immediately after sunset or after the appearance of the stars. It is important to ensure that there is enough oil for the candles to burn for at least half an hour after the stars appear.
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The shamash candle is lit first
The shamash candle, also known as the helper candle, is lit first in the Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony. The shamash is placed in a designated spot, usually in the centre of the menorah, and is used to light the other candles. The shamash candle is lit first in Ashkenazi communities, while Sephardi communities light the shamash candle last.
On the first night of Hanukkah, the shamash candle is lit first, followed by another candle placed in the right-most spot of the menorah. This first night's candle represents the current night of Hanukkah. On each subsequent night, another candle is added to the menorah, so that on the eighth and final night, all nine candles—the shamash plus eight others—are lit.
The blessings are said before the candles are lit. It is customary to recite three blessings on the first night and two blessings on each night thereafter. The candles are customarily placed in the menorah from right to left but lit from left to right.
The ideal time to light the Hanukkah candles is when the stars appear, shortly after sunset. The Chanukah lights should burn for at least half an hour after the appearance of the stars, so there should be sufficient oil to ensure they remain lit for this duration. If one is unable to light the candles at the prescribed time, they may still do so through the remainder of the night, provided that household members are still awake.
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The shamash candle lights the other candles
The shamash, or helper candle, is used to light the other candles in a menorah. The shamash is placed in a designated spot, usually in the centre, and is the first candle to be lit. The shamash is then used to light the other candles, starting with the left-most one. On the first night of Hanukkah, only two candles are placed in the menorah: the shamash and another candle designating the first night, which is placed in the right-most spot.
Customarily, the candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but lit from left to right. On the second night, two candles are lit, and so on, until the eighth and final night when all nine candles, including the shamash, are lit. The Chanukah lights should be lit when the stars appear, which is usually around 10 to 25 minutes after sunset. If one did not light the candles at this time, they may still do so for the remainder of the night, provided that members of the household are still awake.
In Ashkenazi communities, the shamash is lit first, while in Sephardi communities, an extra candle that is not part of the menorah is used to light the other candles, and the shamash is lit last. The blessings are said before the candles are lit, with three blessings recited on the first night and two on every night thereafter.
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Candles are placed in the menorah from right to left
The Hanukkah menorah has eight spots for candles—one for each night of Hanukkah—and an extra ninth spot for the shamash, or helper candle, which is used to light the others. On the first night of Hanukkah, the shamash candle and another candle are placed in the menorah. The shamash candle usually goes in the centre, and the other candle is placed in the right-most spot. On each subsequent night, another candle is added to the menorah, so that on the eighth and final night, all nine candles are lit.
Customarily, the candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but lit from left to right. The blessings are said before the candles are lit. In Ashkenazi communities, the shamash candle is lit first, and it is used to light the other candles, starting with the left-most one. In Sephardi communities, an extra candle that is not part of the menorah is used to light the other candles, and then the shamash is lit last.
The Chanukah lights should be lit when the stars appear. If someone is unable to light the candles at this time, they may still do so for the remainder of the night, provided that they are still awake. The candles should burn for at least half an hour after the appearance of the stars, so there should be sufficient oil for them to burn for this amount of time. The ideal time to light the Chanukah candles is considered to be 10 or 25 minutes after sunset.
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The menorah is lit after sundown
On the first night of Hanukkah, only two candles are placed in the menorah: the shamash, or "helper" candle, and another candle to mark the first night. The shamash candle is placed in a designated spot, usually in the centre, while the first night's candle is placed in the right-most spot. The shamash is lit first and used to light the other candle, starting from the left-most one. On each subsequent night, another candle is added to the menorah, so that on the eighth and final night, all nine candles are lit.
The blessings are said before the candles are lit. On the first night, three blessings are recited, and on the following nights, two blessings are said. The candles should burn for at least half an hour after they are lit, so it is important to ensure that there is enough oil for them to burn for this duration.
On Friday afternoon, the lighting of the Chanukah lights precedes the lighting of the Shabbat candles. However, since lighting a fire during Shabbat is forbidden according to Jewish law, there are adjustments to the candle-lighting ritual on Friday and Saturday nights. On Saturday night, customs differ, with some lighting the menorah after Havdalah and others doing so before.
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Frequently asked questions
The timing of lighting the candles varies according to different customs. Some sources suggest lighting the candles when the stars appear, while others suggest 10 to 25 minutes after sunset.
The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but lit from left to right. The shamash or helper candle is used to light the other candles.
If you are unable to light the candles at the prescribed time, you may still light them through the remainder of the night, as long as there are members of the household still awake.
If you forgot to light the candles on a particular night, you cannot make up for it the next day. You can only light the same number of candles as everyone else on the following evening.
On the first night, three blessings are recited, and on subsequent nights, two blessings are recited. The blessings are said before the candles are lit.
