We have passed the halfway mark of the 8-day festival of Hanukkah which started at sundown last Thursday. Jews commemorate this week-long event in remembrance of a single days’ worth of oil that kept the Temple menorah burning for 8 days during the rededication of the Temple. If you recall, it had been desecrated by the Seleucids around 165 BC, but was redeemed from darkness and, to this day, is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah.

While a regular menorah has 7 branches, the Hanukkah menorah (“hanukkiah”) has 9, representing the 8 days in which God supplied oil for the lamps, plus the “servant candle,” which usually stands elevated in the center of the others.

Candles are lit progressively each night. The servant candle (center) is lit first and is used to light the others. Going right to left (as the Hebrew language does), one additional candle is lit each night at sundown. So, on the first night, only the servant candle and the furthest candle to the right are lit. On the second night, the servant candle and the two furthest to the right are lit, and so on until, on the eighth night, all 8 candles are lit by the center candle! (Hint: Jesus is our “servant candle,” lighting our lives with His light!)

When candles are lit, blessings are spoken. Here are the traditional blessings:

Though I am not Jewish outwardly, the Jewish roots of my faith live strongly within me! So, though believers in Jesus are not bound by Jewish law, I find pleasure in lighting my small hanukkiah while reciting the blessings above. (I love the words!) There is no salvation in doing so, but it warms my heart to know that the God of Israel has invited us Gentiles to partake of His goodness and love! Thus, I long to worship Him in this simple way.

Give it a try…you might find a blessing in doing so as well! Don’t worry if you don’t have a Hanukkah menorah. Just draw one on a piece of paper or pull one up on your computer! God knows your heart and is able to bless in surprising ways! (Then, look for sales online or in craft stores and pick up a hanukkiah for next year!)