# Baruch a ta. . . HELP! Before sundown. . . **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 3, 1999, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baruch-a-ta-help-before-sundown/5158 "1999-12-03T19:23:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Melatonin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@Melatonin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melatonin)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baruch-a-ta-help-before-sundown/5158/1 "1999-12-03T19:23:00Z")
I’m not a fallen Jew, just a half-bred one. Thus I can’t read Hebrew. When Hannukah is kind enough to fall during a time of year when I can be with family, that’s not a problem. But Hannakuh’s early this year. Soooo, if there is anybody out there who could provide me with the transliteration of the blessing, and the “first night” blessing (or a link to) I would be most, most appreciative. . . ---
**Author:** ![Melatonin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@Melatonin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melatonin)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 1999, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baruch-a-ta-help-before-sundown/5158/2 "1999-12-03T19:44:00Z")
Found it. Sorry. Mod, can you close this thread? ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 1999, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baruch-a-ta-help-before-sundown/5158/3 "1999-12-04T02:30:00Z")
Reading the title (…“HELP! Before sundown”) I had to wonder if perhaps you were being stalked by a vampire. Glad to see my concern was unnecessary. * * * Your Official Cat Goddess since 10/20/99. “I get along well with everybody.” --I.M.F. ---
**Author:** ![BigRoryG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f07891/32.png) [@BigRoryG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigRoryG)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 1999, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baruch-a-ta-help-before-sundown/5158/4 "1999-12-04T22:51:00Z")
No, Don’t close it, I wanna kno * * * “C’mon, it’s not even tomorrow yet…” - Rupert If you need a graphic solution, [http:\ alk.to\Piglet](http://talk.to%5CPiglet) ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baruch-a-ta-help-before-sundown/5158/5 "1999-12-05T01:12:00Z")
It’s “Baruch atah adonai, eloheynu melech haOlam, asher kidshanu v’mitzvotav vitzivanu lehadlik ner shel Chanukkah.” Of course, it’s sung, and I can’t really replicate the tune here. Sorry. Not to mention that Latin characters don’t replicate the Hebrew too terrifically well. If you can read Hebrew, it’s [here](http://www.vjholidays.com/chanukah/brachot.htm). * * * ~Kyla “You couldn’t fool your mother on the foolingest day of your life if you had an electrified fooling machine.” ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 1999, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baruch-a-ta-help-before-sundown/5158/6 "1999-12-06T19:07:00Z")
Kyla has provided the first blessing. Translation: Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with your commandments and commanded us to light the Chanukah candles. The second blessing: … sheh-asah nisim l’avotanu, bayamin ho-haim laz-man ha-zeh. Blessed are you, Lord of God, King of the Universe, who did miracles for our fathers in those days, and even so today. On the first night (too late), the blessing Shehekhianu is also recited. ---
**Author:** ![RickG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rickg/32/5174_2.png) [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 1999, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baruch-a-ta-help-before-sundown/5158/7 "1999-12-06T19:46:00Z")
Dex, That’s a variant on the second blessing that I have heard, but I don’t know its source. The link that Kyla gave has the last two words of the blessing as _ba’z’man hazeh_, so the translation becomes “in those days, _at this season_.” This is, AFAIK, the traditional form of the blessing, and is the one that we use (in a Conservative shul). So, what’s the straight dope on your variant? Rick ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 1999, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baruch-a-ta-help-before-sundown/5158/8 "1999-12-07T14:32:00Z")
The Straight Dope on my variant is memory los and paranoia. I was typing at work, going too quickly so no one would walk in on me, and I misspelt. Please correct my “l” [to} to a “b” [in]. My translation of “to this season” was based on my incorrect “l” and so “in this season” is more correct. Sorry. Thanks, Rick.