How do YOU set up the candles for the menorah?

amother

OP ↓

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 6:07 pm

I remember learning that you set up from right to left and then light from left to right. One of the people in my house insists that you set up and light from left to right, and the way I remember is wrong.
Am I crazy?

Edit: sorry, my mistake. The person in my house is insisting that you set up AND light newest first.

amother

Eggplant

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 6:13 pm

amother Holly wrote:

Husband does it

Husband and kids set up their own. Finally something that is not my job.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 6:14 pm

amother Holly wrote:

Husband does it

Ok, so how he do it? Oldest first or newest first?

amother

Yolk ↓

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 6:15 pm

amother OP wrote:

I remember learning that you set up from right to left and then light from left to right. One of the people in my house insists that you set up and light from right to left, and the way I remember is wrong.
Am I crazy?

We do it like you. I need to find the source (and not just the song I learned as a kid Very Happy

)

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 6:15 pm

amother Eggplant wrote:

Husband and kids set up their own. Finally something that is not my job.

Oldest first or newest first?

amother

↑ Yolk

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 6:19 pm

amother OP wrote:

I just read this again. I thought you were asking about setting up the candles. For sure you light the newest candle first.

amother

DarkCyan

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 6:21 pm

We set them up starting from the right,
Add 1 more for every night.
But don't forget when it's time to light.
We light them from the left to the right.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 6:24 pm

amother Yolk wrote:

I just read this again. I thought you were asking about setting up the candles. For sure you light the newest candle first.

I edited my post, because I wrote it wrong. I AM asking about setting up.

Hashem_Yaazor ↓

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 6:33 pm

The set up doesn't matter really. It's more about which direction you add the new candles that after it's set up it's grown on the left side and then you light left to right. So you start the first night all the way on the right, the second night you add a candle to the left of that, etc
But the actual order you put the candles in/fill up the oil on any given night doesn't matter. You can put the fifth night and then the first night and then the fourth and then the second and then the third as long as the final product is the 5 most right settings and then you light new to old.

amother

↑ Holly

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 6:33 pm

amother OP wrote:

Ok, so how he do it? Oldest first or newest first?

couldnt tell you. It’s his thing

amother

↑ OP

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 6:42 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

Interesting. Do you know where that comes from? Cuz I always learned put in right to left and then light left to right.

amother

Steel

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 6:55 pm

amother OP wrote:

Interesting. Do you know where that comes from? Cuz I always learned put in right to left and then light left to right.

They teach you that as a way to know where in the menorah you light on night one vs 4. It doesn’t mean you literally need to put them in in that order

ra_mom

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 6:58 pm

You out them in starting from the right,
You add one more on every night.
But don't forget when you start to light,
To do it from the left to right.

Ner Rishon, Ner Sheini...

Last edited by ra_mom on Sun, Dec 29 2024, 7:04 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Coral

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 7:04 pm

I think there is a mahloket on this. However, the majority position is set up right to left. Add new candle on the left each day. Light left to right. ETA: Actually, the Machloket is how many candles you use to start.
https://www.etzion.org.il/en/h.....rview

zaq

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 8:19 pm

hodeez wrote:

Set up old to new, light new to old

This. Though I never heard it expressed this way. Rather, set up right to left, light left to right. The way you stated it, one could do the exact opposite, set up left to right and light right to left, and you'd still be setting up old to new and lighting new to old.

Does the Borei Olam care one way or the other? I've no idea, but this is how our chachamim decided it should be done.

amother

Burgundy

Sun, Dec 29 2024, 9:03 pm

amother OP wrote:

I edited my post, because I wrote it wrong. I AM asking about setting up.

I don't think there's a halacha about setting it up