The festival of Chanukah begins on the 25th day of Kislev and lasts eight days. The Chanukah lights should be kindled as soon as possible after nightfall. On Friday the Chanukah lights are kindled before the Sabbath candles are lit. On the first night of Chanukah, one light is kindled—at the right of the menorah. Each night thereafter one light is added—to the immediate left of the one kindled the preceding night. The newly-added light is always kindled first, and the kindling then proceeds toward the right.
Before kindling the lights, the following blessings are recited.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה Blessed are You, Adonoy,
אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם our God, King of the universe,
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו Who sanctified us with His commandments
וְצִוָּֽנוּ and commanded us
לְהַדְלִיק נֵר חֲנֻכָּה: to kindle the light of Chanukah.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה Blessed are You, Adonoy,
אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם our God, King of the universe,
שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ Who performed miracles for our fathers
בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּ֒מַן הַזֶּה: in those days at this time.
The following blessing is said only on the first evening:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה Blessed are You, Adonoy,
אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם our God, King of the universe,
שֶׁהֶחֱיָֽנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ Who has kept us alive and sustained us
וְהִגִּיעָֽנוּ לַזְּ֒מַן הַזֶּה: and brought us to this time.
After kindling the lights, the following is said:
הַנֵּרוֹת הַלָּלוּ אָנוּ מַדְלִיקִין We kindle these lights
עַל הַנִּסִּים וְעַל הַנִּפְלָאוֹת because of the miracles and the wonders,
וְעַל הַתְּ֒שׁוּעוֹת וְעַל הַמִּלְחָמוֹת. the deliverances and the battles
שֶׁעָשִֽׂיתָ לַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ which You performed for our fathers
בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּ֒מַן הַזֶּה. in those days at this time
עַל יְדֵי כֹּהֲנֶֽיךָ הַקְּ֒דוֹשִׁים. through Your holy priests.
וְכָל מִצְוַת שְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה. All eight days of Chanukah
הַנֵּרוֹת הַלָּלוּ קֹֽדֶשׁ הֵם. these lights are sacred,
וְאֵין לָֽנוּ רְשׁוּת לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם. And we are not permitted to make use of them,
אֶלָּא לִרְאוֹתָם בִּלְבָד. but only to look at them,
כְּדֵי לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל in order to offer thanks and praise
לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל to Your great Name
עַל נִסֶּֽיךָ וְעַל יְשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ for Your miracles, for Your deliverance,
וְעַל נִפְלְ֒אוֹתֶֽיךָ: and for Your wonders.
מעוז צור Maoz Tzur
מָעוֹז צוּר יְשׁוּעָתִי Stronghold, Rock of my deliverance,
לְךָ נָאֶה לְשַׁבֵּֽחַ. it is fitting to offer praise to You.
תִּכּוֹן בֵּית תְּפִלָּתִי You will establish the House of my prayer1The Holy Temple.
וְשָׁם תּוֹדָה נְזַבֵּֽחַ. and there we will offer thanksgiving offerings.
לְעֵת תָּכִין מַטְבֵּֽחַ When You prepare total destruction
מִצָּר הַמְ֒נַבֵּֽחַ. against the raging foe,
אָז אֶגְמוֹר בְּשִׁיר מִזְמוֹר I will then complete, with song and psalm,
חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ: the dedication of the Altar.
רָעוֹת שָׂבְ֒עָה נַפְשִׁי My soul was sated with troubles,
בְּיָגוֹן כֹּחִי כִּלָה. my strength consumed with sorrow;
חַיַּי מֵ֒רְרוּ בְּקוּשִׁי they made my life bitter with hardship,
בְּשִׁעְבּוּד מַלְכוּת עֶגְלָה. enslaved by the kingdom of the heifer [Egypt].2In Jeremiah 46:20, Egypt is likened to a young, beautiful heifer.
וּבְיָדוֹ הַגְּ֒דוֹלָה With His great hand,
הוֹצִיא אֶת הַסְּגֻלָּה. He brought forth the treasured [people],
חֵיל פַּרְעֹה וְכָל זַרְעוֹ [while] Pharaoh’s army and all his seed,
יָרְדוּ כְּאֶֽבֶן בִּמְצוּלָה: sank like a stone into the deep.
דְּבִיר קָדְשׁוֹ הֱבִיאַֽנִי He brought me to His Holy of Holies
וְגַם שָׁם לֹא שָׁקַֽטְתִּי. but even there, I found no rest;
וּבָא נוֹגֵשׂ וְהִגְלַֽנִי. the oppressor came and exiled me,3The king of Babylon exiled us to Babylon.
כִּי זָרִים עָבַֽדְתִּי. because I had served alien gods
וְיֵין רַעַֽל מָסַֽכְתִּי. and I prepared poisoned wine.4The Jews were dazed and intoxicated with the wine of the pagans, which was poison for them.
כִּמְעַט שֶׁעָבַֽרְתִּי. I had hardly gone away
קֵץ בָּבֶל. [when] the Babylonian exile ended
זְרֻבָּבֶל. [It came through] Zerubabel;5Zerubabel was at the head of the returned exiles. Encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, he completed the rebuilding of the second Temple.
לְקֵץ שִׁבְעִים נוֹשָֽׁעְתִּי: after seventy years, I was delivered.
כְּרוֹת קוֹמַת בְּרוֹשׁ To cut down the lofty cypress6Mordechai.
בִּקֵּשׁ אֲגָגִי was the intention of the Aggagite,
בֶּן הַמְּדָתָא. son of Hamedasa;7This is a reference to Hainan's plan to destroy Mordechai by hanging.
וְנִהְיְ֒תָה לוֹ לְפַח וּלְמוֹקֵשׁ it became [however] his own trap and snare,8Haman was ultimately hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordechai.
וְגַאֲוָתוֹ נִשְׁבָּתָה. and his arrogance was put to rest.
רֹאשׁ יְמִינִי נִשֵּֽׂאתָ. You raised the head of the Binjaminite9Mordechai was of the tribe of Benjamin.
וְאוֹיֵב שְׁמוֹ מָחִֽיתָ. and You blotted out the name of the foe,
רֹב בָּנָיו וְקִנְיָנָיו his numerous sons and wealth;
עַל הָעֵץ תָּלִֽיתָ: You hanged upon the gallows.
יְוָנִים נִקְבְּצוּ עָלַי The Greeks gathered against me
אֲזַי בִּימֵי חַשְׁמַנִּים. in the days of the Hasmoneans;
וּפָרְצוּ חוֹמוֹת מִגְדָּלַי and broke down the walls of my towers,
וְטִמְּ֒אוּ כָּל הַשְּׁמָנִים. and defiled all the [sacred] oils.
וּמִנּוֹתַר קַנְקַנִּים And from the last of the remaining flasks,
נַעֲשֶׂה נֵס לַשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים. a miracle was performed for the Shoshanim10The term שושנים, roses, is used in Scripture in reference to the Jewish People.
בְּנֵי בִינָה יְמֵי שְׁמוֹנָה קָבְ֒עוּ Men of insight [then] designated eight days
שִׁיר וּרְנָנִים: for song and joyful psalms.
חֲשׂוֹף זְרוֹעַ קָדְשֶׁךָ Uncover Your holy arm
וְקָרֵב קֵץ הַיְשׁוּעָה. and bring near the day of deliverance;
נְקֹם נִקְמַת דַם עֲבָדֶיךָ Avenge the blood of Your servants
מֵאֻמָּה הָרְשָׁעָה. from the wicked people.
כִּי אָרְכָה לָנוּ הַשָּׁעָה. For long have we waited for the deliverance,
וְאֵין קֵץ לִימֵי הָרָעָה. and there is no end to the evil days.
דְּחֵה אַדְמוֹן בְּצֵל צַלְמוֹן Cast the “red one”11Esau. into the dark shadows12We ask God to destroy Esau, the arch-enemy of the Jewish People. Esau is referred to as “the red one” in Genesis 25:25.
וְהָקֵם לָנוּ רוֹעִים שִׁבְעָה: and raise for us the seven shepherds.13See Michah 5:4.