The Order of Lighting the Chanukah Candles and a Prayer for the Fifth Candle

The Order of Lighting:

Blessings over the lighting:

Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light.

Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the universe, Who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time.

These lights we kindle for the miracles, for the wonders, for the salvations, and for the wars that You performed for our forefathers in those days, at this time—through Your holy Kohanim—and for all the mitzvah of the eight days of Chanukah. These lights are holy, and we have no permission to make use of them, only to look at them alone, in order to thank and praise Your great Name for Your miracles, for Your wonders, and for Your salvation.

Maoz Tzur—Mighty Rock of my salvation, to You it is fitting to give praise. Establish the House of my prayer, and there we will offer a thanksgiving sacrifice. When You prepare the slaughter of the barking foe, then I will complete with song and psalm the dedication of the altar.

My soul was sated with troubles; my strength was consumed with sorrow. My life was embittered with hardship under the bondage of the calf-kingdom. Yet with His great hand He brought out His treasured nation; Pharaoh’s army and all his offspring went down like a stone into the depths.

He brought me to His holy Sanctuary, yet even there I found no rest; an oppressor came and exiled me, for I served strangers and poured poisonous wine—until I nearly passed away. The end of Babylon—Zerubbabel—at the end of seventy years I was saved.

To cut down the lofty cypress he sought—Agagite, son of Hammedata. But it became for him a trap and a snare, and his pride was shattered. You raised the head of my right hand, and You erased the name of the enemy; most of his sons and his possessions You hung upon the tree.

Greeks gathered against me then, in the days of the Chashmona’im. They breached the walls of my towers and defiled all the oils. But from the remaining jars a miracle was made for the lilies; men of understanding established eight days of song and joyous praise.

Reveal Your holy arm and bring near the end of salvation. Avenge the blood of Your servants from the wicked nation, for the hour has grown long for us and there is no end to the days of evil. Push away the “Red One” in the shadow of deep darkness; establish for us a shepherd of seven.

A Psalm, a Song for the Dedication of the House, by David: I will exalt You, Hashem, for You have lifted me up and did not let my enemies rejoice over me. Hashem my G-d, I cried out to You and You healed me. Hashem, You brought my soul up from the grave; You revived me from descending into the pit. Sing to Hashem, His devoted ones, and give thanks to the remembrance of His holiness. For His anger is but a moment; life is in His favor. In the evening, weeping may lodge, but in the morning there is joyous song. And I said in my tranquility, “I shall never falter.” Hashem, by Your favor You established strength for my mountain; You hid Your face—I was terrified. To You, Hashem, I call, and to my Master I plead: What gain is there in my blood, in my descent to destruction? Will dust thank You? Will it declare Your truth? Hear, Hashem, and be gracious to me; Hashem, be my Helper. You turned my mourning into dancing for me; You opened my sackcloth and girded me with joy—so that my glory may sing to You and not be silent. Hashem my G-d, forever I will thank You.

For the conductor, with melodies—a psalm, a song: May G-d be gracious to us and bless us; may He shine His face with us, Selah. To make Your way known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. Let peoples thank You, O G-d; let all peoples thank You. Nations will rejoice and sing, for You will judge peoples with fairness, and guide nations on earth, Selah. Let peoples thank You, O G-d; let all peoples thank You. The earth has yielded its produce; G-d, our G-d, will bless us. G-d will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear Him.

Please, with the power of the greatness of Your right hand, release the bound. אב"ג ית"ץ:

Accept the song of Your people; strengthen us, purify us, Awesome One. קר"ע שט"ן:

Please, Mighty One—those who seek Your Oneness, guard them like the apple of the eye. נג"ד יכ"ש:

Bless them, purify them; with the compassion of Your righteousness, always repay them. בט"ר צת"ג:

Strong and Holy One, in Your abundant goodness, lead Your congregation. חק"ב טנ"ע:

Unique and Exalted One, turn to Your people—those who remember Your holiness. יג"ל פז"ק:

Accept our cry and hear our outcry, Knower of hidden things. שק"ו צי"ת:

In a whisper: Blessed is the Name of the glory of His Kingdom forever and ever.

Rejoice in Hashem, you righteous; praise is fitting for the upright. Give thanks to Hashem with a harp; with a ten-stringed lyre sing to Him. Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a joyous blast. For the word of Hashem is upright, and all His work is with Emunah. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is filled with the kindness of Hashem. By the word of Hashem the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their hosts. He gathers the waters of the sea like a heap; He places the depths in storehouses. Let all the earth fear Hashem; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke and it came to be; He commanded and it stood. Hashem frustrates the counsel of nations; He thwarts the plans of peoples. The counsel of Hashem stands forever, the thoughts of His heart from generation to generation. Fortunate is the nation whose G-d is Hashem, the people He chose as His inheritance. From heaven Hashem looked down; He saw all the children of man. From His dwelling-place He watches over all who dwell on earth. He fashions their hearts together; He understands all their deeds. A king is not saved by a great army; a mighty man is not rescued by great strength. The horse is a false hope for salvation, and with all its power it cannot deliver. Behold, the eye of Hashem is upon those who fear Him, upon those who hope for His kindness—to save their soul from death and to sustain them in famine. Our soul waits for Hashem; He is our help and our shield. For in Him our heart rejoices, for in His holy Name we trusted. May Your kindness, Hashem, be upon us, as we hoped for You.

To merit, through the power of the fifth candle—which corresponds to Moshe Rabbeinu—to behold the angels of the Divine Chariot, and that everything should be transformed for the good, and that we should cut off all eleven chieftains of Esav

Master of the universe, Almighty: in the merit of the “fifth candle,” corresponding to Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, bring us the complete Geulah in an instant—305 + 130 = 435—and “Hashem is One” = 1; “Moshiach” 358, “son” 52, “David” 24 = 435. And may we merit to see the angels—Nuriel 297, Gavriel 246, and Michael 107, and Rafael 317 = 967—face to face, by day 96 and by night 81 = 177. And may we enter, with our bodies, into Gan Eden—Gan 53, Eden 124 = 177—like Serach 508, daughter 402, Asher 501 = 1411. And may it be fulfilled in us, “In the merit of the fifth candle,” “and it was turned around, that the Jews ruled over their enemies” (501, 355, 80, 50, 414), and may we cut off, “in the merit of the fifth candle,” the eleven (11) chieftains of Esav = 1411.