Why are the candles of the menorah lit from left to right?
The candles are inserted from right to left (the direction in which we read Hebrew) with the newest addition being on the left, but they are kindled from left to right (with the candle for newest night kindled first). Equal importance is given to the right and left side of the menorah, which may be seen as Gods presence being everywhere. Why is a ninth candle, called the Shamash, used to light the other candles in the menorah? The eight primary candles of the Chanukah menorah are exclusively used to celebrate the festival and may not be used for practical purposes. By having a ninth candle (Shamash means servant), one will not be tempted to use any of the eight primary candles for such purposes. Do you know what the letters on the Draydel stand for? Draydels (Yiddish for to turn) are four sided tops with a different Hebrew letter on each side. The letters are: nun, gimmel, hay, and shin. These are the first letters in the words of the sentence Nes gadol haya sham. or A great miracle ha
