The Order of Lighting the Chanukah Candles and a Prayer for the Sixth 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 fathers 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 fathers 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 to praise Your great Name for Your miracles, for Your wonders, and for Your salvation:

Ma’oz Tzur—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 grief. 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 into His holy sanctuary, yet even there I found no rest; an oppressor came and exiled me, for I served strangers and poured a venomous wine—until I nearly passed away. The end of Babylon—Zerubavel—at the end of seventy years I was saved.

The Agagite, son of Hammedata, sought to cut down the lofty cypress; but it became a trap and a snare for him, and his pride was shattered. You lifted up the head of Your right hand; You erased the name of the enemy. His many sons and his possessions You hung upon the tree.

Greeks gathered against me then, in the days of the Chashmonaim. 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 joyful 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 Edom in the shadow of Tzalmon; raise up 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 Sheol; You revived me from descending to the pit. Sing to Hashem, His devoted ones, and give thanks to the remembrance of His holiness. For His anger is but for a moment; life is in His favor. In the evening, weeping may lodge, but in the morning—joyful 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 going down to the grave? Will the 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 stringed instruments, 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. Let nations 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.

Ana B’Koach—Please, with the power of the greatness of Your right hand, untie 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 mercies of Your righteousness, always bestow upon them. בט"ר צת"ג:

Powerful, Holy One—within Your abundant goodness—lead Your congregation. חק"ב טנ"ע:

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

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

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

Sing joyfully, you righteous, in Hashem; for the upright, praise is fitting. Give thanks to Hashem with a harp; with a ten-stringed lyre, sing to Him. Sing to Him a new song; play well with a joyous blast. For the word of Hashem is straight, and all His work is with faithfulness. 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 nullifies the counsel of nations; He frustrates the thoughts 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 the place of His dwelling He watches over all the inhabitants of the earth. He forms 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 will not 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 have hoped for You.

To merit, through the merit of the sixth candle, to be included within the soul of Yosef HaTzaddik—who is responsible for holiness in the world—and that the light of the pure Menorah should shine within us, upon which the light of the seven days radiates

Master of the world, Almighty: in the merit of the sixth candle—which corresponds to Yosef, the Sefirah of Yesod, the one responsible for guarding the Bris—as it is said, “A woman of valor is the crown of her husband,” and “The righteous sit with their crowns upon their heads.” And regarding this it is said, “Go out and see, daughters of Zion, King Shlomo with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding and on the day of the joy of his heart.” “On the day of his wedding”—this is the giving of the Torah; “and on the day of the joy of his heart”—this is the Beis HaMikdash. And the pure Menorah, upon which the light of the seven days radiates—this is the secret of the Chanukah lights, especially the sixth candle.