Jessie Taylor
The menorah is a candelabra with nine branches, eight for each night of Hanukkah and a ninth for the shamash, or helper candle. The shamash is placed at a different elevation and used to light the other candles. The menorah is traditionally lit after sunset, but before nightfall, and should burn for at least 30 minutes after nightfall. The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left and lit from left to right. The shamash candle is lit first and used to light the other candles from left to right. The menorah can be placed in a window facing the street or in a central doorway.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of candles | 8 for each night, plus an extra 9th candle |
| Placement of candles | The 9th candle, the shamash, or "helper" candle, is placed in the centre or at a different elevation. The other candles are placed from right to left. |
| Lighting order | Candles are lit from left to right. |
| Timing | Candles are lit shortly after sunset or after nightfall (30 minutes after sunset). On Friday night, the menorah is lit before sunset, and on Saturday night, it is lit after nightfall. |
| Location | The menorah can be placed in a window facing the street, in a central doorway, or on a table or chair near a doorpost. |
| Blessings | Three blessings are recited on the first night, and two blessings are recited on subsequent nights. After lighting, it is traditional to sing Chanukah hymns. |
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What You'll Learn
Blessings and procedures
The menorah should be lit at home, or wherever you are staying for the night. If you are spending the night in a Jewish home, you can give your host a token contribution towards the menorah expenses and be covered by their lighting, or you can light your own menorah. In dormitories or apartments, menorahs can be kindled in rooms or communal areas. If this is prohibited, a rabbi should be consulted. In the home, the preferred locations are a central doorway or a window facing the street.
The menorah should be lit shortly after sunset, or after nightfall. On Friday night, the menorah is lit before sunset, and on Saturday night, it is lit after nightfall. The menorah must contain enough fuel to burn for at least 30 minutes after nightfall.
The shamash, or "attendant" candle, is placed at a different elevation to the other eight candles. It is used to light the other candles and is usually made of beeswax. It is not extinguished after the other candles have been lit but is instead placed adjacent to them, in case it is needed to relight a candle.
The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but are lit from left to right. In Ashkenazi communities, the shamash is lit first, whereas in Sephardi communities, an extra candle is used to light the others, and the shamash is lit last.
Before lighting the candles, it is traditional to recite blessings on the first night and on each subsequent night. After the candles are lit, it is traditional to sing Chanukah hymns such as Haneirot Halalu and Maoz Tzur.
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Candle placement
The menorah should have eight spots for candles, one for each night of Hanukkah, and a ninth spot for the shamash, or helper candle, which is used to light the others. The shamash is placed at a different elevation to the other candles. On the first night of Hanukkah, only two candles are placed in the menorah: the shamash, which has its own designated spot, usually in the centre, and another candle placed in the right-most spot. Each night, another candle is added, so that on the eighth and final night, all nine candles are lit. The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but are lit from left to right.
In Ashkenazi communities, the shamash candle is lit first and 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 shamash is not extinguished, but set in its place adjacent to the other candles, in case it is needed to relight a candle.
The menorah is usually lit after sunset, or nightfall, each night of Hanukkah. However, on Friday night, the menorah is lit before sunset, and on Saturday night, it is lit after nightfall. The menorah should be lit before the Shabbat candles on Friday evening while it is still light out. On Saturday night, the candles are lit after sunset when Shabbat has ended. There are differing opinions on whether the menorah should be lit before or after the havdalah rituals are completed.
There are two preferred locations for the menorah in the home. It can be set up in a central doorway, on a chair or small table near the doorpost opposite the mezuzah. Alternatively, it can be placed in a window facing the street to publicise the miracle of Hanukkah.
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When to light the candles
The lighting of the menorah is a ritual that is performed during the eight-day Jewish festival of Chanukah (or Hanukkah). The menorah is traditionally placed in a window, on a table, or outside the door, away from children and flammable materials.
The menorah is lit at nightfall on each of the eight nights of Chanukah. The shamash, or "helper" candle, is lit first, using a match, lighter, or another flame source. This candle is placed in the centre or on a branch at a different elevation to the eight other candles. The shamash is used to light the other candles, so it should be lit first.
On the first night of Chanukah, only the shamash and one other candle are lit. This candle is placed in the right-most spot and lit with the shamash. On the second night, the shamash is lit first, followed by the candle second from the right, and then the candle on the far right is lit again. This pattern is repeated each night, always lighting the newest candle first, until the eighth night when all the candles are lit, starting from the far left.
There is one exception to the timing of lighting the menorah. Since Chanukah lasts for eight nights, it will overlap with Shabbat, the day of rest, at least once. As lighting a fire during Shabbat is forbidden, there are adjustments to the menorah-lighting ritual on Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday night, the menorah should be lit before sunset, and on Saturday night, the candles are lit after sunset when Shabbat has ended.
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The shamash candle
When lighting the menorah on Friday and Saturday nights, adjustments are made according to Jewish law. On Friday evening, the menorah should be lit before the Shabbat candles while it is still light out. On Saturday night, the candles are lit after sunset when Shabbat has ended. However, there are differing opinions among rabbis regarding the order of lighting the menorah and performing the havdalah rituals on Saturday night.
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Displaying the menorah
If you are travelling out of town during Hanukkah, you should still set up your menorah wherever you are staying for the night. If you are spending the night in a Jewish home, you can give your host a small contribution towards their menorah expenses, and you will be covered by their menorah lighting. However, it is better to light your own menorah too—two candles are more powerful than one! Students who live in dormitories or their own apartments should kindle menorahs in their rooms or in a communal dining area. In places where this is prohibited, a rabbi should be consulted for advice on where to light the menorah.
If you are displaying your menorah in a window, you should light the candles from right to left (as Hebrew is written) but for your own view, so the candles are lit from left to right when you look at them. You can also use an electric menorah in the window for safety reasons, and a traditional menorah elsewhere in your home.
The menorah should be lit shortly after sunset, or after nightfall (approximately 30 minutes after sunset). The menorah must contain enough fuel to burn for at least 30 minutes after nightfall. On Friday nights, the menorah is lit before sunset, and on Saturday nights, it is lit after nightfall.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need 44 candles per menorah to complete the ritual on all eight nights. Most boxes of Hanukkah candles contain 45.
The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left, but are lit from left to right. The shamash, or "helper" candle, is placed in a designated spot at a different elevation and is used to light the other candles.
The menorah is lit shortly after sunset or after nightfall. On Friday night, it is lit before sunset, and on Saturday night, it is lit after nightfall.
