The following blessings are an interpretive translation of Hebrew blessings (rather than a word-for-word translation):
- Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.
We honor the great mystery of the universe, the source of all, which deems everything sacred by its power to unite us, and gives us the radiance that we bring forth together as we kindle the Hanukkah lights.
- Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech haolam, she-asah nisim la’avoteinu bayamim hahem bazman hazeh.
We celebrate the spirit of life, wellspring of all that we perceive and imagine, as we look upon with reverence the wondrous great fortune which has been bestowed upon our ancestors throughout antiquity.
- Said only on the first night of Hanukkah: Baruch atah adonai elohenu melech ha’olam, shehecheyanu, v’kiyimanu, v’higiyanu lazman hazeh.
We cherish the wonder of each thing, the order of the universe that binds us together with all of nature, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season.