On Faith: From left to right, the rules of Hanukkah (2024)

FAQs

What are the rules of Hanukkah? ›

The law requires only one light each night per household, A better practice is to light one light each night for each member of the household. The most preferred practice is to vary the number of lights each night.

The candles are placed on the menorah from right to left, the same direction in which one reads Hebrew. However, when lighting the menorah you move in the opposite direction, using the shamash to the light the candles from left to right.

Hanukkah is celebrated in several ways. In addition to lighting each day one candle on the menorah, religious rituals can include daily reading of Scripture, recitation of some of the Psalms, almsgiving, and singing of a special hymn.

Transliteration: Baruch atah Adonai, Elohenu Melech ha'olam, shehecheyanu, v'kiyimanu, v'higiyanu la'zman hazeh. Translation: Praised are You, Our God, Ruler of the universe, Who has given us life and sustained us and enabled us to reach this season.

Placing The Candles On The Menorah

Each night, add a new candle before lighting. Now, here's the tricky part: candles are placed in the menorah from right to left but candles are lit from left to right. "Left to right, that's how you light!"

They are lighted from left to right, so that the newest candle is always lighted first. The helper candle, or shamash, is lighted first, and that candle is used to light all the other candles.

Early history. Though it is 2,200 years old, Hanukkah is one of Judaism's newest holidays, an annual Jewish celebration that does not even appear in the Hebrew Bible.

“Hanukkah Sameach!” (meaning, “Happy Hanukkah!”) “Chag Sameach!” (meaning, “Happy Holiday!”) “Chag Urim Sameach!” (meaning, “Happy Festival of Lights!”)

The story of Hanukkah does not appear in the Torah because the events that inspired the holiday occurred after it was written. It is, however, mentioned in the New Testament, in which Jesus attends a "Feast of Dedication."

The most important of all Hanukkah traditions is the lighting of the menorah each evening.

What is the main purpose of Hanukkah? ›

Hanukkah means “dedication” in Hebrew. The eight-day holiday celebrates the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after it was retaken by the Maccabees, a group of Jewish warriors, from the Greeks in the 2nd century BCE, as explained by Tablet magazine.

Recite or sing these blessings as you light the Hanukkiyah each night during Hanukkah: Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b-mitzvotav, v-tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.

The Shema is regarded by many Jews as the most important prayer in Judaism. This is because it reminds them of the key principle of the faith - there is only one God. This is a monotheistic principle. This part of the Shema is taken from the Torah : Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.

Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights. Urim (pronounced “oo-reem”) is Hebrew for "lights," so chag urim sameach equates to wishing someone a “happy Festival of Lights.”

Put tin foil under the menorah, wrap the candle holders in it, consider wrapping yourself in it. The tin foil will catch all the melty wax and make cleanup a breeze.

Place the shamash in the chanukiah.

This is the spot for the shamash, or the candle used to light all the other candles. Place one candle in this elevated spot. Every night of Chanukah, you place and light the shamash first before the other candles.

The seven lamps allude to the branches of human knowledge, represented by the six lamps inclined inwards towards, and symbolically guided by, the light of God represented by the central lamp. The menorah also symbolizes the creation in seven days, with the center light representing the Sabbath.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b-mitzvotav, v-tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Hanukkah. Blessed are you, Our God, Ruler of the Universe, who makes us holy through Your commandments, and commands us to light the Hanukkah lights.

According to Jewish law, the eight main branches must all be perfectly aligned, standing at the same height and in a straight line. They must be spaced far enough apart so that one candle's flame doesn't join with another's.

Since 1948, the Star of David has carried the dual significance of representing both the state of Israel, and Jewish identity in general. In the United States especially, it continues to be used in the latter sense by a number of athletes.

Is it OK for Christians to celebrate Hanukkah? ›

It is not wrong for a Christian to celebrate Hanukkah. The Jews celebrate the holiday as a reminder of the victory God brought to them after a time of severe oppression. They also celebrate His provision of oil for the menorah after the rededication of the temple in 164 BC.

There was only one small cruse of pure oil, enough to light the menorah in the Temple for one day. But it lasted eight days, in time to produce new pure oil and the menorah was able to remain lit and never burn out. This miracle is attributed to God and the faith that the Jews had in God.

Hanukkah, which means “dedication,” commemorates the miracle of light that occurred when Judah rededicated the Temple to the Hebrew god. According to the Talmud (one of Judaism's holy texts), the Seleucids left only one intact vial of oil, just enough to light the Temple's candelabrum for one day.

Many modern Jewish families celebrate by lighting the hanukkiah. One candle per night of Hanukkah is lit, like Hebrew is read, from right to left. People might also play dreidel games and eat certain foods like sufganiyot (similar to jelly donuts) and latkes (fried potato pancakes).

Christianity emphasizes faith in Jesus Christ, who gives grace, empowerment, and guidance for living the moral life. [2] Judaism teaches a life of holiness through performing mitzvot and emphasizes the importance of adhering to the Bible's standards of social justice as laid down by the Prophets.

What is Hanukkah? The Hebrew word Chanukah means “dedication,” and this holiday commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

But, while blue and white decorations are largely an American phenomenon and not part of the holiday's celebration elsewhere, the most common reason cited for the color choice is an international one: blue and white are the colors of Israel's flag.

The traditional Hanukkah story is that when the Maccabees arrived to re-consecrate the Temple, it was in such disarray that there was only enough olive oil to keep the sacred seven-branch candelabrum (or menorah) lit for one day. Instead, the oil miraculously lasted for eight days.

What do you drink on Hanukkah? ›

Latkes, jelly doughnuts and brisket: Inside Jewish Hanukkah food traditions. Just before the first night of Hanukkah, Alexander Chack made latkes. He started with grating a big pile of potatoes, onions and carrots, then mixing the grated vegetables with eggs and forming them into palm-sized pancakes.

Forbidden foods for Hanukkah

Any animal that does not have cloven hooves or which does not chew its cud is forbidden to be eaten on Hanukkah. Such animals include camel, hyrax, hare, pig etc. Any product derived from a forbidden animal is also prohibited, including fat, organs, milk, meat and eggs.

Judaism. Although amen, in Judaism, is commonly used as a response to a blessing, it also is often used by Hebrew speakers as an affirmation of other forms of declaration (including outside of religious context). Jewish rabbinical law requires an individual to say amen in a variety of contexts.

The Talmud gives two reasons why there are three basic prayers each day: Each service was instituted parallel to a sacrificial act in the Temple in Jerusalem: the morning Tamid offering, the afternoon Tamid offering, and the overnight burning of this last offering.

Shema in American English

(ʃəˈmɑ ) noun. a declaration of the basic principle of Jewish belief, proclaiming the absolute unity of God.

Hanukkah Colors: Blue and White

The obvious explanation for the association of blue and white with Hanukkah is that these are the colors on the Israeli flag.

There is no pork or shellfish allowed, and Jews will not mix meat and dairy in the same meal, so if a chicken is on the table, you won't find butter or cheese.

Potato pancakes (latkes), doughnuts (sufganiyot), and other treats fried in oil, which recall the miracle of the oil, are popular. Children receive presents and gifts of money (Hanukkah gelt), which is sometimes distributed in the form of chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil.

What do you do the first day of Hanukkah? ›

The first day of Hanukkah marks the start of Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah or Festival of Lights. Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish observance that remembers the Jewish people's struggle for religious freedom. On the first day of Hanukkah, only the shammash and the first candle are lit.

Perhaps the most common traditional Hanukkah food found on the tables of Jewish families are potato pancakes, sometimes called latkes or levivot. Jews fill their holiday spreads with oil-fried foods during the holiday to commemorate the oil that lasted for eight days.

Potato pancakes (known as latkes) and jam-filled donuts (sufganiyot) are particularly popular in many Jewish households. Other Hanukkah customs include playing with four-sided spinning tops called dreidels and exchanging gifts.

The appropriate response is aleichem shalom ("unto you peace") (Hebrew: עֲלֵיכֶם שָׁלוֹם). The plural form "עֲלֵיכֶם‎" is used even when addressing one person. This form of greeting is traditional among Jews throughout the world.

Hanukkah, meaning “dedication,” marked this military victory with a celebration that lasted eight days and was modeled on the festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot) that had been banned by Antiochus.