Lighting The Menorah Right To Left

It is used to light the other candles.

Lighting the menorah right to left.

On the first night of hanukkah load a single candle into the candle holder that is furthest to the right when facing the menorah. The other candles are then lit on each night from left to right as you face the menorah. How to light the menorah. On the first night you place a candle on the far right of the menorah.

So on the first day of hanukkah you place one candle at the far right of the line of eight. The shamash candle goes in the center of the menorah in the raised candle holder. Light right to left but left to right there are eight candles to light. Fill the unlit oil or place the unlit candles in the chanukiyah as you face it from right to left.

When you light the candles the shamash is the first candle to be lit. The talmud shabbat 24a only stresses that when lighting you should start from the left and move right. You ll replace the candles for all prior nights and add a new candle every evening. Then hold it in your right hand unless you are left handed.

You are however correct that once the shamash is lit you should then light the other candles on the menorah from right to left. On the first night of hanukkah place a candle in the holder on the far right and light it with the shamash. On the second night load the first candle and then the second immediately to the left of it. Then put the shamash back in its spot leaving it lit.

Think of it as lighting the candle representing the newest night first. Gather everyone in the house around the menorah. Once they are lit the order of the candles and their specific spot in the menorah is not important. The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left as you face the menorah.

The candles are placed in the menorah from right to left just as hebrew is written from right to left but are lit from left to right. The other candles should not be lit directly with the match. Light the shamash candle. While the many halachic authorities debate the order of lighting the menorah no one says that it has to face a specific way when seen.

On the third night load the first then the second then the third. The correct way to set the candles in a hanukkiah is from right to left. The shammash candle is always the first one lit and is used to light the others starting with the left most one. On the first night set one candle to the far right of the menorah.

Candles should be lit from left to right each night.