A Guide to Lighting the Chanukiyah

 To Light the Ḥanukkiyah

1.    Place the first candle to the far right of the Ḥanukkiyah, then add any further candles incrementally from the right towards the left.

2.    Hold and light the shamash.

3.    Say both blessings (and, on the first day only, add the Sheheḥeyanu blessing).

4.    Use the shamash to light the candles beginning with the newest candle – the leftmost candle, moving incrementally towards the right. It’s customary to sing HaNeirot Halalu while lighting.

5.    Return the shamash into its holder and sing Maoz Tzur.

On Friday night the Chanukah candles are lit before Shabbat candles. On Saturday night, Chanukah candles are lit after making Havdalah.

Blessings

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִידְשָׁנוּ בְּמִצוֹתָיו וְצִיוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל חֲנֻכָּה

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitz-votav v’tzivanu l’hadlik neir shel Ḥanukkah.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God and sovereign of the universe, who has sanctified us with commandments and commanded us to light the Ḥanukkiyah.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam she-asah nissim la’avoteinu bayamim haheim baz’man hazeh.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God and sovereign of the universe, who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days, at this season.

First night only

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָּנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיָּענוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam sheheḥeyanu v’kiy’manu v’higiyanu laz’man hazeh.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God and sovereign of the universe, who has given us life and sustained us and enabled us to reach this season. 

HaNeirot Halalu:

הַנֵּרוֹת הַלָּלוּ אָֽנוּ מַדְלִיקִין, עַל הַנִּסִּים וְעַל הַנִּפְלָאוֹת וְעַל הַתְּשׁוּעוֹת וְעַל הַמִּלְחָמוֹת, שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְמַן הַזֶּה, עַל יְדֵי כֹּהֲנֶיךָ הַקְּדוֹשִים.

וְכָל שְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה, הַנֵּרוֹת הַלָּלוּ קֹדֶשׁ הֵן, וְאֵין לָנוּ רְשׁוּת לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֵן, אֶלָּא לִרְאוֹתָן בִּלְבָד, כְּדֵי לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵל לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל עַל נִסֶּיךָ וְעַל נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ וְעַל יְשׁוּעָתֶךָ׃

Haneirot halalu anu madlikin al hanissim, v'al hanifla-ot, v’al hatshu-ot v'al hamilḥamot she-asita la'avoteinu bayamim haheim bazman hazeh, al y’dei kohanekha hak’doshim.

V’khol sh’monat y’mei Ḥanukkah, haneirot halalu kodesh hein, v’ein lanu reishut l’hishtameish bahein, ela lir’otan bilvad, k’dei l’hodot ul’haleil l’shimkha hagadol al nisekha v’al nif-l’otekha v’al y’shu-atekha.

We light these lights for the miracles and the wonders, for the redemption and the battles, that you made for our forefathers in those days at this season, through your holy priests.

During all eight days of Ḥanukkah these lights are sacred and we are not permitted to make ordinary use of them, but only to look at them - in order to express thanks and praise to Your great Name, for Your miracles, Your wonders, and Your salvations.

Maoz Tzur (First Paragraph)

מָעוֹז צוּר יְשׁוּעָתִי לְךָ נָאֶה לְשַׁבֵּחַ

תִּכּוֹן בֵּית תְּפִלָתִי וְשָׁם תּוֹדָה נְזַבֵּחַ

לְעֵת תָּכִין מַטְבֵּחַ מִצָר הַמְנַבֵּחַ

אָז אֶגְמֹר בְּשִׁיר מִזְמוֹר חֲנֻכַּת הַמִזְבֵּחַ

 

Ma’oz tzur y’shu-ati l’kha na’eh l’shabei-aḥ, tikon beit t’filati v’sham todah n’zabei-aḥ,

L’eit takhin matbei-aḥ mitzar ham-nabei-aḥ,az egmor b’shir mizmor ḥanukat hamizbei-aḥ.