The Hanukkah Blessings to Our Lord, Our God, Ruler of the Universe! You are So Good to Us!

 

We lit our Menorah tonight and said the Hanukkah prayers for the first night of Hanukkah! The prayers are very nice, prayers to our God, prayers of thanks and blessings. It is a nice celebration and a remembrance of the miracles God performs for us! Praised are You, Our God, Ruler of the universe, Who has given us life and sustained us and enabled us to reach this season!

According to Wikipedia, Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday which celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the larger Syrian army. It also celebrates a miracle that happened during this time, where just a day's supply of oil allowed the menorah (Hanukkiah or Hanukkah Menorah) in the rededicated Temple in Jerusalem to remain lit for eight days. Therefore, Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah for eight days. As it says on Google, Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and commemorates in particular the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on each day of the festival. Although not mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures, Hanukkah came to be widely celebrated and remains one of the most popular Jewish religious observances. On whychristmas.com they said that, Hanukkah (sometimes spelt Chanukah) is the Jewish Festival of Lights and it remembers the rededication of the second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, in Israel. This happened in the 160s BCE/BC (before Jesus was born). (Hanukkah is the Hebrew and Aramaic word for 'dedication'.) Hanukkah lasts for eight days and starts on the eve of the Kislev 25, the month in the Jewish calendar that occurs at about the same time as December. Because the Jewish calendar is lunar (it uses the moon for its dates), Kislev can happen from late November to late December.

Happy Hanukkah! A time for prayer, reflection, thanks, and blessings! According to: https://www.kveller.com/article/the-hanukkah-blessings/

These blessings are recited before the lighting of the Hanukkah candles. The traditional Hanukkah candle lighting service consists of saying all three blessings on the first night, and only the first and second blessings for the seven nights to follow.

The First Blessing
Hebrew:
.ברוך אתה יי, אלוהינו מלך העולם, אשר קידשנו במצוותיו, וציוונו להדליק נר של חנוכה
Transliteration:
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.
Translation:
Praised are You,
Our God, Ruler of the universe,
Who made us holy through Your commandments
and commanded us
to kindle the Hanukah lights.

The Second Blessing

Hebrew:

.ברוך אתה יי, אלוהינו מלך העולם, שעשה נסים לאבותינו, בימים ההם בזמן הזה

Transliteration:

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, she-asah nisim la’avoteinu bayamim hahem bazman hazeh.

Translation:

Praised are You,

Our God, Ruler of the universe,

Who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors

in those ancient days

at this season.

The Third Blessing

(First Night Only)

Hebrew:

.ברוך אתה יי, אלוהינו מלך העולם, שהחיינו, וקיימנו, והגענו לזמן הזה

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.