The Miracle of the Oil
David Denny
December 16, 2022
Hanukkah Candles: Miracle of the Oil

Two Prayers for Hanukkah

Hanukkah focuses on the miracle of the oil, which allowed Jerusalem’s Jewish community to keep the Temple candelabra burning for eight nights while having barely enough oil for one. The feast commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against Greek oppression in the 2nd century BCE. During each evening of Hanukkah, a candle is added to the menorah. Here is the blessing over the candles:

Blessed are you, Lord, our
God, sovereign of the universe,
who has sanctified us with His
commandments and commanded us to light the lights
of Hanukkah. (Amen)

Here is a blessing for the feast itself:

Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the
universe, who performed miracles for our ancestors
in those days at this time.
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the
universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and
enabled us to reach this season. (Amen)

To learn more about Hanukkah and hear these
blessings in Hebrew, visit: https://www.jewfaq.
org/prayers_chanukkah.

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