Hannukah

The order for lighting Hanukkah candles

For the sake of the unification of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and His Shechinah, with awe and love, and love and awe, to unify the Name Y-H with V-H in perfect unity, in the name of all Israel, we are now coming to fulfill the mitzvah of lighting the Hanukkah candles as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, ordained for us, with all the mitzvot included in it, to rectify its root in the highest place, to bring contentment to our Creator and to do the will of our Maker. And let the pleasantness of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah light.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days, at this time.

On the first night, one also recites this blessing:

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.

After he lights one candle, he shall say:

We kindle these lights for the miracles, for the redemptions, and for the wonders which You performed for our forefathers, through Your holy priests. During 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 give thanks to Your Name for Your miracles, Your wonders and Your salvations.

A Psalm. A Song for the Dedication of the House. Of David. I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me. O Lord, You brought up my soul from Sheol; You kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing to the Lord, O you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment; His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” By Your favor, O Lord, You made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face; I was dismayed. To You, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it tell of Your faithfulness? Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!” You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing Your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever!

A charm for protection: say every night after lighting the Hanukkah candles, 'May the pleasantness' and Psalm 91, seven times.

And may the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; establish for us the work of our hands; establish the work of our hands!

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!” For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Maoz Tzur (Strong Rock)

Sign: Mordechai is strong.

Rock of my salvation, to praise You is fitting; Restore my house of prayer, and there a thank offering we will sacrifice. When You have prepared a slaughter of the barking foe, then I will complete with song and psalm the dedication of the altar.

My soul is sated with troubles, my strength is spent with sorrow. They embittered my life with hardship, with the enslavement of the kingdom of Eglah. But with His mighty hand, He brought forth the treasured ones. Pharaoh's host and all his offspring descended like a stone into the depths.

He brought me to the chamber of His sanctuary, but even there I found no rest. An oppressor came and exiled me because I served foreign gods and mixed poisoned wine. I nearly passed the end; with Zerubbabel, at the end of seventy years, I was saved.

Agagite, son of Hammedatha, sought to cut down the stature of cypress, but it became a snare and a trap for him; his pride was brought to an end. My right hand was exalted; you blotted out the name of the enemy; you hanged the multitude of his sons and possessions on the tree.

Greeks gathered against me then, in the days of the Hasmoneans, and they breached the walls of my towers and defiled all the oils. But from the remaining flasks, a miracle was made for the heroes. Sons of understanding established eight days for song and rejoicing.

Reveal your holy arm, and hasten the time of salvation; avenge the vengeance of your servants on the wicked nation, for the hour is long for us and there is no end to the days of evil. Thrust down the red one in the shadow of Zalmon; raise up for us the seven shepherds.