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All About Menorah Lighting
Sing A Song:
Words Behind
The Chanukah Melodies
Holiday
Central Editor:
Rivka C. Berman
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Ha-Ne-Roat
Halah-lu Ko-desh Hem - These Candles Are Holy
Some tie strings around their fingers to remember important items on the
to-do list. At chanukiyah lightings, Jews sing to remember a to-don't.
HaNay-roat Ha-lah-lu, These Candles, recalls the reason the candles are
lit and the reason why the light is not used for any household purpose.
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Ha-ne-roat
Ha-lah-lu
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These
candles
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Ah-nach-nu
mad-lee-keem
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That
we light
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Al
Ha-nissim
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Are
for the miracles
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V'al
ha-nif-lah-ot
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The
wonders
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V'al
ha-te'shu-ot
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The
salvation
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V'al
ha-mill-khah-mot
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The
battles
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Sheh-ah-see-tah
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That
you fought (lit.did)
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La'ah-vote-ay-nu
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For
our ancestors
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Bah-yah-meem
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In
those days
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Bah-zman
hah-zeh
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At
this time (of year)
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Al
yeh-day co-ha-ne-kha hak-doe-shim
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Through
your holy kohen-priests (the Maccabees)
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Veh-coal
sh'mon-at yeh-may
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Chanukah
And all eight days of Chanukah
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Ha-nay-rot
ha-lah-loo ko-desh hem
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These
candles are holy
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V'ain
lah-noo reh-shoot
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And
we do not have permission
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leh-heesh-tah-mesh
ba-hem
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To
use them
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El-ah
leer-ot-am bil-vad
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But
just to behold them
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Ke-day
l'hoe-dote
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In
order to give thanks
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Oo-l'hall-el
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And
to praise
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Et
shim-kha hah-ga-dole
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To
Your great name
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Al
nee-seh-kha
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About
Your great miracles
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V'al
nif-loa-te-kha
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And
Your wonders
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V'al
yeshu-ah-te-kha
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And
Your salvations
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Ma'oz Tzur - Rock
of Ages
Rock of Ages suffers from generations of hummage. The
first line is memorable and so is the moving melody, but what is the
song about anyway.
The first five (yes five) were written around the 13th century
apparently by a man named Mordechai, who thoughtfully left his initials
into the first letter of each stanza, a then-common literary flourish.
The song praises God for stepping in and saving the Jewish people at
critical moments in history. It highlights key historic triumphs in the
Jewish saga beginning with the redemption from Egypt, the return from
the Babylonian exile, Purim's last-minute save from annihilation, the
triumph for religious freedom on Chanukah. The song ends with a prayer
for the end of the current exile. Some versions of this stanza's
stirring words call for God's vengeance over the Jewish blood that other
nations had spilt. Scholars believe stanza six was composed around 1500
C.E.
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Ma'oz
tzur yeh-shoe-ah-ti
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O
mighty stronghold of my salvation
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L'kha
nah-eh l'sha-bay-akh
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to
praise you is a pleasure
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Ti-kon
bait te-feel-ah-ti
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fix
my house of prayer
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V'sham
toe-dah nez-ah-bay-akh
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and
there we will offer a gift of thanks
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L'eight
ta-khin mat-bay-akh
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when
the time comes that you will have
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Me-tzar
ha-meh-na-bay-akh
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prepared
the slaughter for the blaspheming foe
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Az
egg-more b'shir meez-more
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then
I will complete with song and praise
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Chanu-kat
ha-meez-bay-akh
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to
the dedication of the altar
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Click the
following for more interesting information about the Menorah and its
traditions:
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Chanukah:
Over 1000 Jewish
