THE CHANUKAH BLESSINGS
Chanukah commemorates a successful uprising against Syrian-Greek culture and religious discrimination in the second century before the Common Era. The Maccabees were a rural band, led by brothers who not only opposed the forces of Antiochus, but also cosmopolitan, assimilationist Jews in the urban centers of Jewish Palestine.
Start lighting your menorah on the first evening of the holiday with the shammash (servant candle) in the center or at the left edge.
The first candle should be at the far right. Add a candle each night to the left of the one before it, but light all the candles in order from left to right. Remember that you will always be lighting the "freshest" candle first.
Begin this lovely, table-top ceremony by lighting the shamash and singing the first blessing:
Baruch atah Adonai
Elohaynu melech ha-olam
Asher kidshanu be-mitzvotav
Ve-tzivanu le-hadlik ner
Shel Chanukah.
Blessed are you Adonai
Our God, ruler of the universe
Who made us holy with God's mitzvot
And commanded us to kindle the lights
of Chanukah.
Then sing the second blessing:
Baruch atah Adonai
Elohaynu melech ha-olam
She-asah nisim l-avotaynu
Ba-yamim ha-haym
Ba-z'man ha-zeh.
Blessed are you Adonai
Our God, ruler of the universe
Who performed miracles for our ancestors
In ancient days
At this season of the year.
On the first night of the holiday only, sing:
Baruch atah Adonai
Elohaynu melech ha-olam
She-hecheyanu
Ve-kiyemanu
Ve-higiyanu
La-z'man ha-zeh.
Blessed are you Adonai
Our God, ruler of the universe
Who kept us in life
And sustained us
And enabled us to reach
This season.
At this point, light the candles from left to right. While you are lighting each night sing:
Ma’oz tzur yeshu’ati
Lecha na’eh leshabayach
Tikon bayt tefilati
Ve-sham todah nezabayach
Le-ayt tachin matbayach
Mitzar ha-menabayach
Az egmor, be-shir mizmor
Chanukkat ha-mizbayach
Ra’ot savah nafshi
Be-yagon kochi chalah
Chayay mareru ve-koshi
Be-shibud malchut eglah
U-ve-yado ha-gedolah
Hotzi et ha-segulah
Chayl Paro ve-chol zaro
Yardu ka-even metzulah
For a sweet little video of Cantor Sam Glaser and his young family singing the blessings of Chanukah on the first night, click here.
For a printable version of the Chanukah blessings, click here.
