Hanukkah rituals
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- See related article Hanukkah.
Hanukkah rituals are performed during the eight nights and days of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (Feast of Dedication). Hanukkah has relatively simple religious rituals. Some aspects are practiced at home by the family, other aspects are communal. There are additions to the regular daily prayer services in the Siddur, the Jewish prayer book.
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The Menorah or Hanukiah or Hanukkah
Names for the Menorah
The eight-branched miniature candelabrum (menorah) lit on Hanukkah is known by different names. Ashkenazi (European Jews) have always referred to it as a menorah. Some Sephardi (Spanish and North African Jews) refer to the menorah as a "hanukkah". Modern Israelis call it a "hanukiah".
Kindling the Menorah
Chief importance is attached by Jewish law and custom to the kindling of the small menorah specially designed for use on this holiday. The reason for its use is not for the "lighting of the house within", but rather for the "illumination of the house without", so that passers-by should see it. Accordingly lamps are set up at a prominent window or near the door leading to the street. It is customary amongst some Ashkenazim to have a separate menorah for each family member (cutoms vary), whereas most Sephardim light one hanukkah for the whole household.
Only when there was danger of Anti-Semitic persecution, as was the case in Persia under the rule of the fire-worshipers, or in Europe before and during World War II, were lamps supposed to be hidden indoors. As the lights were intended only for illumination in honor of the feast, reading by them was prohibited ( as derived from the Talmud (Tracate Shabbat 21b-23a).
Blessings over the candles
Typically three blessings (Berakhot singular Berakhah) are recited during this eight-day festival. On the first night of Hanukkah, Jews recite all three blessings, on all subsequent nights, they recite only the first two. On the first night of Hanukkah one light (candle, lamp, or electric) is lit on the right side of the Menorah, on the following night a second light is placed to the left of the first and is lit first proceeding from left to right, and so on each night.
The first blessing
Recited all eight nights just prior to lighting the candles.
The words of the berakhah (blessing) are:
- Barukh attah Adonai, Eloheinu melekh ha'olam, asher kiddeshanu bemitzvotav vetzivvanu lehadlik neir (shel) Hanukkah.
Translation: "Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah lights."
The second blessing
Recited all eight nights just prior to lighting the candles.
- Barukh attah Adonai, Eloheinu melekh ha'olam, she'asah nissim laavoteinu, bayyamim haheim, (u)bazzeman hazzeh.
Translation: "Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors, in ancient days, at this season."
The third blessing
Recited only on the first night just prior to lighting the candles.
- Barukh attah Adonai, Eloheinu melekh ha'olam, shehecheyanu, vekiyyemanu, vehiggi'anu lazzeman hazzeh.
Translation: "Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has kept us in life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season."
After kindling the lights
When the lights are kindled the Hanerot Halalu prayer is subsequently recited.
(Ashkenazi version):
- Hanneirot hallalu anachnu madlikin 'al hannissim ve'al hanniflaot 'al hatteshu'ot ve'al hammilchamot she'asita laavoteinu bayyamim haheim, (u)bazzeman hazeh 'al yedei kohanekha hakkedoshim. Vekhol-shemonat yemei Hanukkah hanneirot hallalu kodesh heim, ve-ein lanu reshut lehishtammesh baheim ella lir'otam bilvad kedei lehodot ul'halleil leshimcha haggadol 'al nissekha ve'al nifleotekha ve'al yeshu'otekha.
Translation: "We light these lights For the miracles and the wonders, for the redemption and the battles that you made for our forefathers, in those days at this season, through your holy priests. During all eight days of Hanukkah these lights are sacred, and we are not permitted to make them serve except for to look at them in order to express thanks and praise to Your great Name for your miracles, Your wonders and Your salvations."
Singing of Maoz Tzur after lighting
Each night immediately after the lighting of the candles, while remaining and staring at the candles, Ashkenazim (and, in recent decades, some Sephardim) then usually sing the following hymn written in Medieval Ashkenaz (Germany).
- Ma'oz Tzur Yeshu'ati, Lecha naeh leshabeiach. Tikkon beit tefillati vesham todah nezabbeiach. Le'et takhin matbeach mitzar hamenabbeiach. Az egmor beshir mizmor chanukat hammizbeiach.
- Ra'ot sav'ah nafshi, beyagon kochi khilah. Chayyai meireru beqoshi, beshibbe'ud malkhut eglah. Uvyado haggedolah hotzi et hassegulah. Cheil Par'oh vechol-zar'oh yardu ke-even bim'tzulah.
- D'vir qodsho heviani vegam sham lo shaqateti. Uva nogess lehiglani ki zarim avad'ti. Veyyein ra'al masachti kim'at she'avarti. Qeitz Bavel Zerubbavel leqeitz shiv'im noshati.
- Kerot qomat berosh bikkesh Agagi ben Hamdatah. Venihyata lo lefach ulmoqesh vegavato nishba'ta. Rosh yemini niseita veoyev shemo machita. Rov banav vekinyanav al ha'etz talita.
- Yevanim niqbetzu alai azai biymei Khashmanim. Ufartzu chomot migdalai vetim'u kol hashmanim. Uminotar qanqanim na'aseh nes lashoshanim. Benei vinah yemei shemonah kav'u shir ur'na'anim.
- Chassof zeroa' qodshecha veqarev qeitz hayeshu'a. Neqom niqmat dam avadecha me'uma haresha'a'. Ki arkha lanu hasha'a ve-ein qeitz liymei hara'ah. Dechei admon betzeil tzalmon haqeim lanu ro'im shiv'ah.
Additions to the daily prayers
An addition is made to the "hoda'ah" (thanksgiving) benediction in the Amidah, called Al ha-Nissim ("On/about the Miracles"). This addition refers to the victory achieved over the Syrians by the Hasmonean Mattathias and his sons. (The erroneous designation of Mattathias as son of Johanan the high priest seems to rest upon the late Hebrew apocryphal "Megillat Antiokhos" or "Megillat Hanukkah," which has other names and dates strangely mixed.)
Wording of Al ha-Nissim insertion
The liturgical part inserted reads as follows:
"We thank You also for the miraculous deeds and for the redemption and for the mighty deeds and the saving acts wrought by You, as well as for the wars which You waged for our ancestors in ancient days at this season. In the days of the Hasmonean Mattathias, son of Johanan the high priest, and his sons, when the iniquitous Greco-Syrian kingdom rose up against Your people Israel, to make them forget Your Torah and to turn them away from the ordinances of Your will, then You in your abundant mercy rose up for them in the time of their trouble, pled their cause, executed judgment, avenged their wrong, and delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and insolent ones into the hands of those occupied with Your Torah. Both unto Yourself did you make a great and holy name in Thy world, and unto Your people did You achieve a great deliverance and redemption. Whereupon your children entered the sanctuary of Your house, cleansed Your temple, purified Your sanctuary, kindled lights in Your holy courts, and appointed these eight days of Hanukkah in order to give thanks and praises unto Your holy name."
Traditional Hanukkah foods
There is a custom to have Hanukkah parties and to eat foods fried or baked in some kind of kosher cooking oil/s, preferably olive oil, as the original miracle of the Hanukkah menorah involved the finding of the small flask of oil used by the Jewish High Priest (the Kohen Gadol). Many Ashkenazi families make potato pancakes known as latkes in Yiddish. Many Sephardim as well as Polish Ashkenazim and Israelis have the custom to eat all kinds of doughnuts (bimuelos or sufganiot) which are deep-fried in kosher (mainly non animal-fat) oils. In America, some make a point of eating fried chicken and french fries on at least one of the eight nights of Hanukkah.