On Hanukkah, Al Hanisim is included in the daily Amidah prayer, and also recited during Birkat Hamazon, the grace after meals. The prayer praises God for miraculously delivering the Jews from the hands of the Greeks in the time of the Maccabees.
Below is the version of Al Hanisim recited on Hanukkah, in Hebrew, transliteration and English translation.
וְעַל הַנִּסִּים וְעַל הַפֻּרְקָן וְעַל הַגְּבוּרוֹת וְעַל הַתְּשׁוּעוֹת וְעַל הַמִּלְחָמוֹת שֶׁעָשִׂיתָה לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה
v’al hanisim v’al hapurkan v’al hag’vurot v’al hatshu’ot v’al hamilkhamot she’asita l’avoteinu bayamim hahem bazman hazeh
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And for the miracles and for the wonders and for the mighty deeds and for the salvations and for the victories that you wrought for our ancestors in their days and in this day
בִּימֵי מַתִּתְיָהוּ בֶּן יוֹחָנָן כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל חַשׁמוֹנַאי וּבְנָיו כְּשֶׁעָמְדָה מַלְכוּת יָוָן הָרְשָׁעָה עַל עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם תּוֹרָתֶךָ וּלְהַעֲבִירָם מֵחֻקֵּי רְצוֹנֶךָ
bimei matityahu ben yokhanan kohen gadol khashmonai u’vanav k’she’amda malkhut yavan harsha’a al amkha yisrael l’hashkikham toratekha u’lha’aviram makhukei r’tzonekha
In the days of Mattathias son of Yohanan the high priest, the Hasmonean, and his sons, when the evil kingdom of Greece stood against your people Israel in order to make them forget your Torah and violate your laws
וְאַתָּה בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים עָמַדְתָּ לָהֶם בְּעֵת צָרָתָם רַבְתָּ אֶת רִיבָם דַּנְתָּ אֶת דִּינָם נָקַמְתָּ אֶת נִקְמָתָם
v’ata v’rakhamekha harabim amad’ta lahem b’eit tzaratam ravta et rivam danta et dinam nakamta et nikmatam
You, in your enormous mercy, stood up for them in their time of great need, upheld their cause, judged their case, and avenged their oppressors.
מָסַרְתָּ גִּבּוֹרִים בְּיַד חַלָּשִׁים וְרַבִּים בְּיַד מְעַטִּים וּטְמֵאִים בְּיַד טְהוֹרִים וּרְשָׁעִים בְּיַד צַדִּיקִים וְזֵדִים בְּיַד עוֹסְקֵי תוֹרָתֶךָ
masarta giborim b’yad khalashim v’rabim b’yad m’atim u’tmei’im b’yad t’horim u’r’sha’im b’yad tzadikim v’zeidim b’yad oskei toratekha
You delivered the mighty into the hands of the week, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the degenerates into the hands of those who cling to your Torah
וּלְךָ עַשִׂיתָ שֵׁם גָּדוֹל וְקָדוֹשׁ בְּעוֹלָמֶךָ וּלְעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל עָשִׂיתָ תְּשׁוּעָה גְדוֹלָה וּפֻרְקָן כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶה
u’lekha asita shem gadol v’kadosh b’olamekha u’lamkha yisrael asita t’shua gedola u’furkan k’hayom hazeh
And you made for yourself a great and holy name in your world, and performed a great salvation and miracle for your people Israel, as you do today
וְאַחַר כֵּן בָּאוּ בָנֶיךָ לִדְבִיר בֵּיתֶךָ וּפִנּוּ אֶת הֵיכָלֶךָ וְטִהֲרוּ אֶת מִקְדָּשֶׁךָ וְהִדְלִיק נֵרוֹת בְּחַצְרוֹת קָדְשֶׁךָ וְקָבְעוּ שְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה אֵלּוּ לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵל לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל
v’akhar kein ba’u vanekha lidvir beitekha ufinu et heichalkha v’tiharu et mikdashekha v’hidlik neirot b’khatzrot kadshekha v’kav’u shmonat yemei hanukkah eilu l’hodot u’lehalel l’shimkha hagadol
And afterward, your children came to the Holy of Holies in your House, and they cleansed your Palace and purified your Temple and they kindled lights in the courtyard of your Sanctuary and they established these eight days of Hanukkah to give thanks and to praise your great name
For a thoughtful commentary on why this prayer mentions the miracle of the military victory but not the oil that burned for eight days, click here.
For an additional reflection on how Al Hanisim reflects on our partnership with God in performing miracles, click here.
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