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Chanukah Candle Lighting Blessings
Judaism 101 ^ | Judaism 101

Posted on 12/12/2017 6:27:34 AM PST by Wuli

Chanukkah Candle Lighting Blessings

Please note that this page contain the name of God. If you print it out, please treat it with appropriate respect.

If you do not have experience reading transliteration please see the Guide to Transliteration.

One candle is added to the menorah each night. The first night, you light only the shammus (the one at a different height) and one Chanukkah candle. By the eighth night, you light all of the candles.

Candlelighting Procedure Candles should be added to the menorah from right to left (like Hebrew writing). See animation at right. The shammus candle is lit first. While holding the shammus candle, recite the following blessings. They are usually sung. Click the music icons in the blessings below to hear the tune.

If you would like to hear the blessings sung, check out the MP3 recording by Rabbi Mark Zimmerman on SiddurAudio.com. The recording is designed for educational purposes, and is chanted at a very moderate pace with very clear enunciation. Siddur Audio and its sister site, Haftorah Audio are great sources for learning the melodies of Jewish liturgy. (Rabbi Zimmerman is not associated with this website). Blessing over Candles

Light the shammus candle first, then recite the blessings while holding the candle. Do not light the other candles until the blessings are done!

Hebrew MIDI

Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe

Hebrew asher kidishanu b'mitz'votav v'tzivanu Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us

Hebrew l'had'lik neir shel Chanukah. (Amein) to light the lights of Chanukkah. (Amen)

Blessing for the Chanukkah Miracle

Hebrew MIDI Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe

Hebrew she'asah nisim la'avoteinu bayamim haheim baziman hazeh. (Amein) Who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time

Shehecheyanu (Who Has Kept Us Alive)

This blessing is recited only on the first night of Chanukkah.

Hebrew MIDI Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe

Hebrew shehecheyanu v'kiyimanu v'higi'anu laz'man hazeh. (Amein) who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season (Amen)

Lighting the Candles

After reciting the blessings, use the shammus to light the Chanukkah candles from left to right (newest to oldest). See animation at top.

Candles should be left burning until they go out on their own. They must burn for more than half an hour. Standard Chanukkah candles burn for about an hour.


TOPICS: Judaism; Religion & Culture; Worship
KEYWORDS: chanukah
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CHanukah begins at sundown today.
1 posted on 12/12/2017 6:27:34 AM PST by Wuli
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Comment #2 Removed by Moderator

To: KC_Lion; SkyDancer; Sarah Barracuda

Ping


3 posted on 12/12/2017 6:39:06 AM PST by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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Comment #4 Removed by Moderator

To: Wuli

Per your request, I have asked the mods to delete my post. I didn’t mean any offense to any Jewish Freepers. I simply tried to wish everyone of the Jewish faith a happy holiday. FWIW... the term “he-bro and he-bra” is used by the “youth” in our area (and yes... JEWISH youth as a twist on the “bro” and “bra” slang meaning friend. Perhaps it is more of a regional thing. That being said, I apologize to our Jewish Freepers.


5 posted on 12/12/2017 6:56:07 AM PST by momtothree
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To: Wuli

Chanukkah blessings to you and all of our Jewish FReepers.


6 posted on 12/12/2017 7:02:42 AM PST by Bigg Red (Vacate the chair! Ryan must go. Dump McConnman, to)
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To: jjotto

“That’s a bold claim for something not in the Jewish Bible.......”A reminder that Judaism is a completely different religion with a different set of assumptions, not just a kind of pre-Christianity without the Messiah.”

What a silly and prejudiced statement. Why? You cannot find all the things done and said in many Christian religious ceremonies in the bible. There too the words and ceremonies developed by “tradition” come from how the bible inspired people to devise the ceremonies, but as such, as ceremonies and words often said exactly in the ceremony are not “biblical”, but reflections on events or theology provided in the bible.


7 posted on 12/12/2017 7:06:10 AM PST by Wuli
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To: Army Air Corps; SkyDancer; Sarah Barracuda; Yaelle; yldstrk; beaversmom; jjotto; onyx; ...

The best Chanukah wishes to all!


8 posted on 12/12/2017 7:09:42 AM PST by KC_Lion (If you want on First Lady Melania's, Ivanka Trump's or Sarah Palin's Ping Lists, just let me know.)
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To: momtothree

My next door neighbors son (they’re Jewish) once used such words. His dad had the rabbi put him and his friends that were with him on community service for a month. I witnessed it. The son later came and apologized to me. He said he was sorry he used words he would not want to hear the ignorant say to him. I thanked him for the lesson.


9 posted on 12/12/2017 7:12:37 AM PST by Wuli
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To: Wuli

The musical version of the story of Chanukah. Worth a listen! :

https://youtu.be/qSJCSR4MuhU


10 posted on 12/12/2017 7:16:17 AM PST by Phinneous (Moshiach Now!)
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To: Wuli

Blessed Chanukka to all our Jewish Freepers!


11 posted on 12/12/2017 7:17:39 AM PST by squarebarb ( Fairy tales are basically true.)
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To: Wuli

I’m not going to battle you on this one, Wuli. You stated you aren’t Jewish but have Jewish friends. I’m not Jewish and have Jewish friends. Perhaps the Jewish friends I have aren’t “Conservative or ultra Conservative” in their beliefs. Again... the middle school, high school and college aged Jewish kids I know use that term as one of affection. As a Non-Jew, I am in no way, shape or form going to discourage/condemn/or act like a Rabbi with a term they find nothing wrong with. It’s not my place and it isn’t yours either. Again, FOR ALL THE JEWISH FREEPERS... if you took offense to what I posted, I apologize. It was meant to be joyous/happy sounding and not divisive.


12 posted on 12/12/2017 7:19:42 AM PST by momtothree
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To: momtothree

I was not picking any bone with you, publicly. I just related to you my neighbors lessons on the subject. It was not a lecture. Just a statement of what they showed me. It may be true that my Jewish friends take their faith more seriously than others do, and then feel more seriously about it. All religions have a range of observers.


13 posted on 12/12/2017 7:25:38 AM PST by Wuli
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To: Wuli

Happy Chanukah to all who celebrate! Big pile of potatoes ready to go for tonight’s latkes!

(Our extended family may not be celebrating together this weekend depending on my cousins who host the annual bash being in mandatory evacuation in Santa Barbara right now)


14 posted on 12/12/2017 7:30:33 AM PST by Yaelle
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To: Yaelle

They tried to kill us. We won. Lets eat.


15 posted on 12/12/2017 7:33:13 AM PST by MGG
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To: Phinneous

Thanks. They’re good.


16 posted on 12/12/2017 7:34:05 AM PST by Wuli
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To: MGG

All you need to know about any Jewish holiday!!

Still winning!


17 posted on 12/12/2017 7:34:46 AM PST by Yaelle
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To: KC_Lion
Grandad agrees:

Channukah

18 posted on 12/12/2017 7:39:51 AM PST by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~)
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To: Yaelle; SkyDancer
I was getting ready for Christmas when a retired and feeble woman living near us who (like me) worked in NYC for some time, lamented the fact that she can't find any menorah candles. I worked a little magic, and a friend of mine in the NYC area just provided me with a box of candles. I can't tell you how happy I feel, knowing that before the evening I'll be giving the box to my retired friend.

From this Christian, I wish a Happy Chanukkah to all my fellow Jewish FReepers.

19 posted on 12/12/2017 8:25:17 AM PST by DoodleBob
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To: KC_Lion
Happy Hanukkah, KC! May Hanukkah Harry be good to you!
20 posted on 12/12/2017 8:27:07 AM PST by miss marmelstein
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