Hanukkah in Short: How to Celebrate
Table of Contents
Read the transcript below, or watch a video of the teaching by Yehuda Bachana.
Shalom, my name is Yehuda Bachana, and I am the co-director of Netivyah.
If you want to celebrate Hanukkah with us but you don’t know how, we are here to help you.
Let’s start with the blessing itself and continue with a basic explanation.
Before we light the hanukkiah, we say the following blessings:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל חֲנֻכָּה.
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu lehadlik ner shel Chanukah.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by His commandments and commanded us to kindle the light of Hanukkah.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם ,שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה.
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, she’asah nisim la’avoteinu bayamim hahem baz’man hazeh.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days at this season.
Only on the first evening do we say the additional blessing, Shehecheyanu.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה.
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, shehecheyanu v’kiy’manu v’higianu laz’man hazeh.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.
Now we light the candles and bless:
הַנֵּרוֹת הַלָּלוּ אָנוּ מַדְלִיקִים עַל הַנִּסִּים וְעַל הַנִּפְלָאוֹת וְעַל הַתְּשׁוּעוֹת וְעַל הַמִּלְחָמוֹת שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה עַל יְדֵי כֹהֲנֶיךָ הַקְּדֹשִׁים.
וְכָל שְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה הַנֵּרוֹת הַלָּלוּ קֹדֶשׁ הֵם, וְאֵין לָנוּ רְשׁוּת לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם, אֶלָּא לִרְאוֹתָם בִּלְבָד, כְּדֵי לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל עַל נִסֶּיךָ וְעַל נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ וְעַל יְשׁוּעָתֶךָ.
Hanerot hallalu anu madlikim al hanisim ve’al hanifla’ot ve’al hateshu’ot ve’al hamilchamot she’asita la’avoteinu bayamim hahem baz’man hazeh al y’dei kohanecha hak’doshim.
V’chol shmonat yemei Chanukah hanerot hallalu kodesh hem, v’ein lanu reshut lehishtamesh bahem, ela lir’otam bilvad, kedei lehodot u’lehalel l’shimcha hagadol al nisecha ve’al niflotecha ve’al y’shuatecha.
We light these lights for the miracles, the wonders, the salvations, and the battles that You performed for our ancestors in those days at this season, through Your holy priests.
All eight days of Hanukkah, these lights are sacred, and we are not permitted to make ordinary use of them, but only to look at them, in order to thank and praise Your great Name for Your miracles, wonders, and salvation.
The menorah has seven branches, while the hanukkiah has nine.
After sunset, the hanukkiah is lit with the help of the shamash, the servant candle, which should be higher than the other candles. The shamash is lit first each day and then used to light the other candles.
Place the candles starting on the right side of the hanukkiah and light them from the left side to the right side.
Each day a candle is added:
On the first day, one candle is lit (in addition to the shamash).
On the second day, two.
And so on - not including the shamash.
On the first day, three blessings are said.
On the other days, two blessings.
As we light the candles and say the blessings for Hanukkah, we remember how Yeshua, too, celebrated this holiday in John 10.
During the holiday, it is not customary to be in mourning or to fast. It is customary to eat fried or deep-fried foods rich in oil - for example, latkes (potato pancakes) or sufganiyah (a type of donut without a hole).
Place the hanukkiah in a spot visible from both inside and outside the house, for example, on the windowsill.
It is traditional to distribute pocket money or gifts to the children. Kids play with dreidels and win or lose chocolate coins.
On Hanukkah, it is also customary to sing Maoz Tzur:
מָעוֹז צוּר יְשׁוּעָתִי, לְךָ נָאֶה לְשַׁבֵּחַ. תִּכּוֹן בֵּית תְּפִלָּתִי, וְשָׁם תּוֹדָה נְזַבֵּחַ. לְעֵת תָּכִין מַטְבֵּחַ, מִצָּר הַמְנַבֵּחַ, אָז אֶגְמוֹר בְּשִׁיר מִזְמוֹר, חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ.
Maoz tzur yeshu’ati, lekha na’eh leshabe’ach, tikon beit tefilati, v’sham todah nezabe’ach. Le’et tachin matbe’ach, mitzar hamnabe’ach, az egmor beshir mizmor, Chanukat hamizbe’ach.
O mighty Rock of my salvation, to You it is fitting to praise. Restore my house of prayer, and there we will offer thanksgiving. When You prepare the slaughter for the blaspheming foe, Then I will complete with song and psalm the dedication of the altar.
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Yehuda Bachana
Netivyah Staff
Yehuda is the director of Netivyah and leader of ‘Roeh Israel.’ An IDF reservist and certified tour guide born into the original homegroup in 1979, he has served since 2002, teaching globally with deep scriptural passion. Lydia and Yehuda have three children.
Glossary
Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) means “Lord” and is commonly used in Jewish reading and prayer as a reverent way to refer to God.
Altar (mizbe'ach, מִזְבֵּחַ) refers to the sacred place where offerings were presented to God.
Hanukkah (חֲנֻכָּה) means “dedication” and refers to the festival remembering the rededication of the Temple after its desecration, celebrating God’s faithfulness and the courage to remain faithful. Yeshua celebrated Hanukkah in John 10.
Hanukkiah (חֲנֻכִּיָּה) is the nine-branched lamp used during Hanukkah.
Menorah (מְנוֹרָה) often refers to the seven-branched lampstand of the Tabernacle and Temple, symbolizing God’s light and presence.
Shalom (שָׁלוֹם) means peace and completeness, and is often used as a greeting in Israel, both when meeting and parting.
Shehecheyanu (שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ) means “Who has kept us alive” and refers to a traditional Jewish blessing thanking God for allowing us to reach a special moment, season, or celebration.
Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) is the Hebrew name of Jesus, meaning "salvation"
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