▷ What Is The Hanukkah Prayer?

The Hanukkah prayer, also known as the “Al Ha-Nissim” prayer, is integral to the celebration of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. This blessing praises God for the pivotal role He played in the successes of the small band of Jewish people that fought in the Maccabean Revolt. This sensitive prayer encourages watchers of the holiday to open their hearts and recall the wonder of the events that took place over two thousand years ago.

What is the Hanukkah Prayer?

The Hanukkah Prayer is also known as the “Al Ha-Nissim” prayer and it is the set blessing said in Judaism to commemorate the victory of the Maccabees in the Maccabean Revolt. This prayer is thoughtfully composed to pay homage to the miracle and the wonder that happened over two thousand years ago.

One version of the blessing takes the form of a modim (expression of gratitude) prayer and reads as follows:

We thank and praise You, God, our Lord, O Ruler of the Universe, for the miracles and the wonders, for the deliverance and the mercy, for the vanquishing of villainous foes, You wrought for our ancestors in days of yore in these days of Hanukkah. You saved the strong into the hands of the weak, the few into the hands of the many, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the ill-fated into the hands of the masters of good fortune.

The lengthy blessing is usually abbreviated in English and spoken at the dinner table during Hanukkah. Another version of the Hanukkah prayer is the “She-Asah Nisim” blessing, which commences with “who did miracles for our forefathers long ago, at this season”.

In Hebrew, the Hanukkah prayer usually begins im kiftzho kasho: “He himself made miracles for His people in those days at this time,” and reads as follows:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁעָשָׂה נִשִּׂים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בִּימֵי קֶדֶם בַּזְמַן זֶה

The traditional response to this blessing is baruch Atta Adonai Eloheinu Melech Haolam sheh-asah nisim laavoteinu bayamim haheim bazeman hazeh.

The Hanukkah prayer gives thanks to God for His extraordinary role in the success of the Maccabean Revolt and encourages those who observe the holiday to remember the miracles that took place long ago. By reciting the prayer, one pledges to draw strength from the story of Hanukkah and reminds us to be grateful for the delights that come with the observance of this solemn holiday.

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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.